Japan's rainy season begins in southern Kyushu
Japan's rainy season appears to have begun in the southern part of the Kyushu region, the Meteorological Agency announced Friday.
This is the first time since statistics began in 1951 that southern Kyushu has entered the rainy season earlier than any other region in Japan.
The start of the rainy season in the region also comes 14 days earlier than usual, and 23 days earlier than last year.
The announcement was based on preliminary results that may be corrected in definitive statistics to be released in early September.
Rainy season usually arrives earlier in Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture, and the Amami region, an island group belonging to the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. This year, however, the Pacific high pressure system extends widely, making the seasonal rain front come on the northern side.
The season may be advancing faster, due to westerlies over Japan running more northward than in an average year, according to the agency.
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