Tokyo Endures 35 Straight Days of Rain as Residents Cry ‘Enough’

Tokyo Endures 35 Straight Days of Rain as Residents Cry ‘Enough’

Tokyo is running out of patience with the weather. Japan’s capital has endured 35 consecutive days of rain, the longest such stretch since records began in 1886, leaving residents struggling with gloomy skies, rising food prices and little opportunity to enjoy a dry day.

Rainfall in central Tokyo reached 629mm between the beginning of September and Monday, almost three times the usual amount for the period, according to Japan’s meteorological agency.

The relentless weather has also meant unusually little sunshine. Tokyo recorded only 45.8 hours of daylight during the period, while 14 days passed without any sunshine at all, according to Japanese media reports.

For residents, the problem goes beyond inconvenience.

Hiromichi Ito, a doctor and director of a clinic in Tokyo, told the Sankei Shimbun that prolonged rain, low atmospheric pressure and high humidity could contribute to headaches, dizziness and other physical symptoms.

The gloomy conditions have also taken a toll on people’s mood, with some residents turning to social media to describe their growing frustration as “rain fatigue”.

One X user wrote that the seemingly endless rain was responsible for their low mood, adding that people feeling worn out should not blame themselves.

The weather has hit household budgets as well. Persistent rain has damaged crops in agricultural areas around Tokyo, contributing to higher vegetable prices, particularly for leafy greens.

One supermarket worker told local media that the price of a head of lettuce had more than doubled to ¥450, equivalent to about £2.17.

Residents have also complained about the simple difficulty of getting laundry dry, with some forced to make repeated trips to laundrettes.

The unusual weather pattern has been linked by experts to a combination of climate change and El Niño, which has contributed to changes in atmospheric conditions over the Pacific.

Masayuki Kyoda, an official with the Japan Meteorological Agency, told Agence France-Presse that autumn rain fronts were remaining over the region longer than usual.

However, Kyoda cautioned that establishing a direct connection between climate change and Tokyo’s 35-day rain streak was difficult.

The meteorological agency has nevertheless said in a recent report that global warming is having long-term effects on Japan’s weather, including increased precipitation.

Tokyo’s previous longest recorded run of consecutive rainy days was 33 days, recorded between June 27 and July 29, 2019.

The wet conditions have persisted beyond the city’s normal rainy season, which usually occurs in June. Heavy summer downpours have also caused flooding in parts of the region.

Earlier in September, Typhoon Dujuan brought flooding and landslides to neighbouring Chiba prefecture, killing eight people and destroying dozens of homes.

Another typhoon, the 26th of the season, was moving northeast this week and could affect the Kanto region, where Tokyo is located.

Even as the rain briefly eased to a drizzle on Wednesday morning, residents were given little reason to expect a prolonged break.

Yojiro Noda, lead singer of Japanese rock band Radwimps, captured the mood among many residents in a post to his 1.1 million followers: “Tokyo, a lifetime of rain.”

Another social media user joked about whether the capital might eventually match the biblical 40 days and 40 nights of rain.

For now, Tokyo residents are simply waiting for the skies to clear.