My bags are packed, and I will fly west across the International Date Line to Tokyo tomorrow.
It’s already Tuesday in Japan, and the highs are going to touch 99°F (37°C) in Tokyo. By the time I arrive there on Wednesday evening, there will be a little respite from the heat, with rain on Thursday and Friday.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says the average nationwide temperature for the three months of June, July, and August was 2.36 °C (4.3 °F) higher than normal — the largest increase on record since comparable data became available in 1898.
Specific meteorological patterns contributed to the long, intense heat this summer.
High-pressure systems: The Pacific High and the Tibetan High, two powerful high-pressure systems, extended over Japan during the summer. When they occur simultaneously, they create a “tall” high-pressure zone that suppresses cloud formation and produces prolonged periods of clear skies and sunny conditions.
Warming ocean currents: The ocean surrounding Japan has been abnormally warm. The Kuroshio (Japan Current), a warm current flowing northward from the Philippines, has been particularly active, holding the country in a “vice grip of warm water” and driving up temperatures even well into autumn.
[Still from national broadcaster NHK World with a meteorologist explaining the effects of the two overlapping high-pressure systems]