Week 10: Extreme Weather

 Extreme Weather 

The main extreme weather Japan deals with is typhoons, which will have to be discussed next week. Besides that, Japan also suffers from very hot summers and cold winters. 

General Information

• "Northern Japan has warm summers and very cold winters with heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side and in mountainous areas" (JMA).
• "Eastern Japan has hot and humid summers and cold winters with very heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side and in mountainous areas" (JMA). 
• "Western Japan has very hot and humid summers (with temperatures reaching 35℃ or above) and moderate cold winters" (JMA).
• Okinawa and Amami "have hot and humid summers (with temperatures rarely reaching 35℃ or above) and mild winters" (JMA).

Heat Waves 

• "The highest monthly average temperature is 28.9℃ (84.02℉)" (Web Japan).
• In Tokyo and some parts of Honshu (the main island), the "temperature can reach almost 40℃ (104℉) during the summer (Web Japan).

Because of climate change and La Niña, Japan had a heat wave from June 28 to August. "Temperatures peaked at 40.2℃ (104.4℉) in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture" (Wikipedia). While 15,657 were hospitalized, there were no casualties caused by the heat wave (Wikipedia).

Cold Winters

Tokyo 

• In December, you'll see temperatures "around 12℃ (54℉) in the afternoon" and "about 5℃ (41℉) in the morning and at night" (Matcha).
• During January, temperatures are at 10℃ (50℉) in the afternoon, and in the morning, temperatures "hover between 2℃ - 3℃ (35℉ - 37℉)"(Matcha).
• During February, "afternoon temperatures are about 10℃ - 11℃ (42℉ - 50℉) while morning and evening temperatures fall to about 3℃ (37℉)" (Matcha)

One of the more recent snow storms in Japan occurred earlier this year in February. According to the Washington Post, some areas in Japan reached about more than 12 feet of snow. The snow reached 14 ft "on Feb. 24 in Tsunan, and a depth of" 16.5 ft was "reported at nearby Matsunoyama" (Washington Post). A train connecting a airport with multiple cities, stranded about 4,000 passengers because it was suspended for three days (Washington Post). A bomb cyclone is what enhanced the snowfall to reach a new record.

Reduce the effects

• Forecasting and predicting weather hazards
• Keep yourself updated with the latest news
• Listen to the warnings
• Long-term changes to community infrastructure and plans
• Installation of warning systems
• Establishing community and individual plans to deal with the hazard in question