Tokyo International News Agency

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and local meteorological observatories announced on Friday, July 18, that the rainy season has ended for the Kanto-Koshin, Hokuriku, and Southern Tohoku regions. For the Kanto-Koshin region, the end of the rainy season occurred on the same day as last year and one day earlier than average, marking what is officially considered "normal" timing for the arrival of summer. However, this announcement of "normal" timing has been met with widespread confusion and skepticism on social media. Posts such as "Are they really saying the end of the rainy season this year is normal?" and "This is the first year I've ever doubted that phrase so much" have appeared. Many users felt that heatwave-like conditions had already persisted since the middle of the rainy season, leading comments like "The mid-rainy season break felt like an entire summer" and "The heat simply got a head start." The JMA defines...

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on the 4th that the rainy season (tsuyu) has ended in the Tokai region. This marks the end of the rainy season 15 days earlier than average, making it the third earliest summer arrival on record. Residents expressed mixed feelings, with comments like "It was surprisingly early, today of all days," and "I'm happy, but... the heat scares me," reflecting both anticipation and concern for the full-fledged summer. With the end of the rainy season, the Tokai region is expected to experience a prolonged period of intense heat. On the 4th, the maximum temperature in Nagoya was forecast to reach 34 degrees Celsius, and a heatstroke alert was issued for Mie Prefecture, indicating that severe heat has already arrived. Social media is filled with warnings such as "Aichi is hot" and "Heatstroke prevention is essential," urging frequent hydration, appropriate breaks, and strict vigilance against heatstroke. Regardi...