The mercury in Tokyo on March 31 hit a record 28.1 degrees Celsius for the month, with the weather giving a boost to those seeking to enjoy the cherry blossoms in parks around the capital.
The Meteorological Agency said that the high had been marked at around 1:30 p.m. in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, besting the previous record of 25.3 C set in 2013. The temperature was the highest since records began in 1876.
Yokohama also recorded its highest temperature for March on the same day, hitting 26.9 C, while a broad swath of the Kanto region also saw records broken, including in Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures.
Last year, the first “summer-type day” in central Tokyo was on March 24, when a maximum temperature of 25 C was observed.
Cherry blossoms in the capital finally burst into bloom March 29, marking the latest blooming in over a decade. The determination, made by the Meteorological Agency, came 15 days later than last year and five days later than in an average year. Private forecasters had also expected this year’s bloom to come much earlier.
While the cherry blossoms had only just begun to bloom, people were already flocking to parks in the Kanto region to enjoy the warm weather and hanami cherry blossom-viewing parties, a major seasonal event in Japan. (The Japan Times)
毎週届く！
