Tokyo suffers the longest streak of rainy days on record

Tokyo has experienced the longest consecutive period of rain on record, with 34 straight days of persistent downpours. This unprecedented streak, which started in September, exceeds the previous record of 33 consecutive rainy days set in 2019. The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) attributes the prolonged rainfall to a combination of factors, including El Niño's influence on global weather patterns and a high-pressure system in the Pacific remaining longer than usual.

Climate change, driven by increased fossil fuel emissions, has also heightened the likelihood of heavy rain events by making the atmosphere more moist. In September alone, Central Tokyo received 629 millimeters (24.8 inches) of rain, nearly three times the normal amount, bringing the total rainfall for the month to nearly 630 millimeters (24.8 inches), close to the all-time high of 670.9 millimeters (26.4 inches) recorded in 1958.

While the JMA acknowledges that climate change impacts Japan's weather patterns in the long term, linking the current rainy streak directly to climate change is not possible. Meanwhile, flooding in Thailand has affected 1.7 million people and caused 23 deaths since mid-September.