The rainy season appears to have begun in northern Kyushu and Shikoku, the Meteorological Agency announced Monday.

The start of the rainy season in these regions came eight days earlier than the average and 23 days earlier than last year, the agency said.

The areas covered include Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita and Kumamoto prefectures in Kyushu, as well as part of Yamaguchi Prefecture on Honshu, it added.

Southern Kyushu and Okinawa entered the rainy season earlier this month.