The Tokyo metropolitan region experienced another cloudy and rainy day on Monday, marking the 18th straight day in which the country’s capital has seen less than three hours of sunshine per day.
Tokyo has not experienced such a spell of overcast weather since 1988, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency said the average amount of sunshine during the past 18 days has been 2.8 hours.
On Monday, which is a national holiday — Umi no Hi or Marine Day — conditions were cloudy with some rain over much of eastern and northern Japan. More of the same is forecast for the rest of the week.
The meteorological agency said the rainy season started late this year. However, it said that temperatures in the Kanto region will be at average levels for July by the last week of the month.
Meanwhile, in southwestern Japan, temperatures topped 31 degrees Monday in Saga, Kumamoto and Yamaguchi cities, about average for this time of year.
© Japan Today
28 Comments
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Spitfire
To be honest,I would rather have these slightly dark but comfortable temperature days than the normal double-whammy ones of 35 degrees plus with humidity hovering around the 90 mark.Once the hot weather hits everyone will miss these comfortable days.......a bit of drizzle/mist is far better than what it is normally like here at this time of year.I can still take my golden retriever our for an afternoon walk when that is impossible in normal Summers.
sensei258
I second that emotion.
JJ Jetplane
I’m jealous. Even during the rainy season, I’ve seen too much sunlight in Japan. Too hot. That sun burns. We should challenge these astronomers. I feel like Earth is now the 2nd rock from the sun.
darknuts
This is the best summer ever. That heat is for the birds.
Maria
Don't jinx it. This is nice. The overwhelming heat will come soon enough, and will stay far too long.
Patricia Yarrow
Loving it! My TEPCO bill was the lowest ever!
savethegaijin
Ya'll better be knocking on wood cause as soon as August hit's you'll all be begging for mid 70's. Does no one else remember all the people dying every day last year because of the heat? At least I can go outside for now.
ClippetyClop
I get where you and the other urban posters are coming from, but I want my summer to be summer and my winter to be winter. These gloomy, drizzly days are boring.
JeffLee
I managed to spend Monday afternoon on a tennis court. So I ain't complaining. Prefer this to a Japanese summer, that's for sure.
Do the hustle
It’s quite a contrast to last July when we were all nearly dying from excessive heat with temps in the high 30’s for weeks on end. My electricity bill is half of what it was last July.
quercetum
Tokyo has one of the longest spring seasons. Late Feb/ early Mar all the way until the end of the rainy season. August is really the only true summer month. Enjoy the cool weather while it lasts.
Stewart Gale
I like it, it’s a comfortable temperature.
carp_boya
I couldn’t agree more with ClippetyClop. I’ll take the sunny 35C weather of August over 25C with rain any day. The recent weather is fine if all you want to do is stay home. I prefer to get outside. Summer can’t come soon enough!
Rena Matsui
Hmm, that's weird. I didn't wake up to near darkness for the last 18 days.
theFu
So ... climate change is getting cooler?
Anyone using solar energy having issues with the reduced solar radiation hitting the panels?
smithinjapan
Yeah, and yet a lot of areas are seeing far less rain than the typical rainy season. So far the weather forecast has been correct one day in the last two weeks -- a Sunday of rain, of course. Hell, we had evacuation warnings 12 days ago for heavy rain and landslides, with my cell phone alarm going off a dozen times, and not a drop of rain fell. So what if it's a bit cloudy? The minute it is not people will be complaining about the intensity of the sun.
BackpackingNepal
Mr. Sunshine wants to come next year Olympic Time with Miss Super Sunshine.
Chip Star
Reading this is making me depressed knowing the heat is coming.
Stephen Newman
Oh my tomatoes.
Alex Einz
Yea my tomatoes unhappy too .... and bloody tired to dry my shoes after morning runs
Hiroshi13
We all know rainy season comes every year and is part of the "normal" weather cycle here in Japan but...enough is enough! Unless you're a duck, a mushroom or a rice farmer I can't understand how anyone is enjoying this garbage weather.
Joseph Zammit
Cannot wait for the heatwave this weather is depressing
kohakuebisu
I think rice farmers want more sunshine. This weather isn't good for the plants.
I'm finding it all a bit depressing, cycling in the rain and a garden too wet to do much. My car A/C broke in April though, so at least I'm not stuck driving a sauna. It's 15 years old and has 212,000km on the clock, so I won't be repairing it.
Luddite
So what? They aren't being flooded, having people collapsing with heat stroke etc. Be grateful.
Patricia Yarrow
I'm from Oregon, so loving these cloudy days. Sorry to rain on ya'lls complaint parade... :-)