Japan set to endure another record hot summer as global warming persists

South China Morning Post · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Japan is likely to face another record-setting summer, climate experts have warned, as global warming shrinks Arctic ice, changes wind direction and heats ocean temperatures.The Japan Meteorological Agency on Tuesday released its weather forecast for the coming months, predicting a 60 per cent probability of above-normal temperatures for all of Kyushu, Shikoku and the southern and eastern parts of Honshu between June and August.The southern islands of Okinawa, the northern prefecture of Hokkaido and the six most northerly prefectures on Honshu have a 50 per cent likelihood of elevated temperatures, according to the agency.Another record-breaking summer could lead to a repeat of Japan’s weather trend over the previous three years, with 2025 the hottest on record. Average temperatures between June and August are expected to be 2.36 degrees Celsius above the 30-year average, surpassing the 1.76 degrees above average reported last year.Of 153 meteorological stations across the country, 132 recorded record highs, while a temperature of 41.8 degrees was reported in the city of Isesaki, Gunma prefecture, on August 5, the highest ever in Japan. Across 13 prefectures, 30 locations reported above 40 degrees.Yoshihiro Tachibana, a professor in Mie University’s Department of Environmental Science and Technology, said the mercury level could surge to a new record this year.