TOKYO - Japan’s average temperature in 2025 is expected to rank as the third highest since records began, underscoring another year of persistent heat across the country. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the nationwide average temperature for the year is projected to be 1.25 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, placing it behind only last year and the year before, which marked the highest and second-highest readings on record, respectively.
The agency attributes the elevated temperatures to several factors, including a northward shift of the westerly jet stream from summer through early autumn, which allowed warm air to linger over Japan, as well as periods when high-pressure systems strengthened around the country.
Yoshinori Oikawa, head of the Meteorological Agency’s Center for Climate Change Information, warned that such conditions could become the norm. “It is entirely possible that these high temperatures will come to be seen as a normal state,” Oikawa said, adding that society needs to consider how to adapt to a warmer climate.
Rainfall, meanwhile, is expected to be significantly lower than average along the Pacific coast of eastern Japan, reflecting a shorter rainy season and raising concerns about water availability in some areas.
Source: TBS
