emirates7 - Japan's average temperature for 2024 is on track to set a new record high for the second year in a row, according to preliminary data released by the Japan Meteorological Agency on Wednesday.

As reported by Kyodo News, the average temperature through November was 1.64°C above the annual average for the 30-year baseline period ending in 2020. This surpasses the previous record set in 2023, which exceeded the average by 1.29°C. It marks the highest level since the agency began recording data in 1898.

The elevated temperatures were attributed to the combined effects of global warming and unusually northern shifts of westerly winds, which brought in warm air, the agency explained.

Rising temperatures have become a clear trend in Japan, with the five years from 2019 to 2023 representing the hottest on record. Over the long term, the agency noted that Japan’s annual average temperature has increased by 1.35°C per century.

Additionally, sea surface temperatures around Japan were also unusually warm. As of late November, they were 1.46°C above the annual average, exceeding the previous record set in 2023, based on data available since 1908.