Central Tokyo records 34 consecutive days of rain, longest on record - Bangkok Post

Pedestrians walk on a scramble crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo. (File photo: Saritdet Marukatat) Central Tokyo on Tuesday registered 34 consecutive days of rain, marking the longest streak on record, according to the weather agency.

The area has seen precipitation since Aug 27, with typhoons approaching. The previous record was 33 consecutive days from June 27 to July 29 in 2019.

The heaviest rainfall during the current streak was 156 millimetres on Sept 21.

Rain is expected to continue until around Thursday, partly due to an autumn rain front.

The stretch of rainy days was the longest since records began in 1886.

Masayuki Kyoda, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that "the distinctive weather map during this month is in part because of El Nino", bringing higher temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.

"Autumn rain fronts are staying longer than usual," Kyoda said, referring to Tokyo's rainy season, because a high pressure system in the Pacific is also remaining longer than normal.

He said that although it was not possible to directly link the streak to climate change, a JMA report last year concluded that "global warming was impacting Japan's weather long-term, including through more precipitation".

The Mainichi Shimbun daily reported that central Tokyo had been soaked by 629 millimetres (24.8 inches) of rain in September through to Monday, nearly three times the normal level.

That was approaching the September record of 670.9 millimetres set in 1958.

Tokyo's wet weather comes as 1.7 million people were affected by recent flooding in Thailand after an intense weather system hit the region, with 23 people killed since mid-September.