Japan records hottest year in its history in 2024 for 2nd consecutive year

Japan experienced its hottest year on record in 2024, surpassing the previous highest average temperature recorded in 2023, the country's weather agency said on Monday.

Driven by global warming and westerly winds, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the country's average temperature in 2024 was the highest ever recorded for the second year in a row since 1898.

The highest temperature recorded across Japan last year was 41 C (105.8 F) on July 29 in Sano, Tochigi province, north of the capital Tokyo, Kyodo News reported.

The average temperature in 2024 was 1.48 C higher than the mean temperature for the 30 years ending in 2020, outpacing the 1.29 C increase seen in 2023, it added.

Last autumn's average temperatures were unprecedented, and the summer's heat levels matched previous records, the agency said, adding that April, July, and October all saw record-high temperatures.