Tokyo residents woke on Wednesday to a familiar sound: raindrops on windows and balconies. The Japanese capital has recorded a record 35 consecutive days of rain, its longest run since weather records began in 1886. Experts attribute it to a combination of climate change and El Niño, which has created a persistent high-pressure front over the Pacific Ocean.
Central Tokyo received 629 millimetres of rain from the beginning of September through Monday, nearly three times the normal amount for the period, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Over the same weeks, the city saw just 45.8 hours of sunshine, the second-lowest level on record, while on 14 days the sun did not appear at all.
The prolonged rainy weather is affecting people's physical and mental health, says Hiromichi Ito, a doctor who runs a clinic in the capital. Hours of rain, low atmospheric pressure and high humidity can cause headaches, dizziness and other symptoms, he told the Sankei Shimbun newspaper.
Forecasters warn that the rain may continue. Masayuki Kyoda, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency, told Agence France-Presse that “autumn rain fronts are lingering longer than usual”. This year's El Niño is warming the Pacific and intensifying the extreme weather triggered by the climate crisis.
Although Kyoda said it is difficult to establish a direct link between climate change and this particular run of rain, the meteorological agency noted in a recent report that “global warming is affecting Japan's weather over the long term, including through increased rainfall”. Tokyo's previous longest run of continuous rain was 33 days, between 27 June and 29 July 2019.
The situation is already having serious consequences. Earlier this month, Typhoon Dujuan caused floods and landslides in neighbouring Chiba prefecture, killing eight people and destroying dozens of homes. This week, authorities reported that another typhoon, the 26th of the season, is moving northeast and could hit the Kanto region, where Tokyo is located.
The rainfall has caused a sharp rise in vegetable prices, particularly leafy vegetables, because of damage to crops near the capital. According to reports, a supermarket employee said the price of a head of lettuce had more than doubled to 450 yen. Residents also complain that they cannot dry their clothes and are forced to visit neighbourhood laundrettes.
News that the city had not had a single dry day since 27 August prompted many social media comments about “rain fatigue”. “This endless rain must be responsible for my bad mood,” wrote an X user. “If you feel exhausted, it's not your fault.” Yojiro Noda, the singer of Radwimps, wrote to his 1.1 million followers: “Tokyo, a lifetime of rain.” Someone else wondered whether the city would reach the Old Testament's 40 days and 40 nights of rain.
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