Japan experienced a hot day Wednesday as temperatures in many areas, mainly the west and northeast, soared to 25 or more, while Tokyo and other cities saw cherry blossoms in bloom, the Meteorological Agency said.
The city of Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, recorded a temperature of 30.2, topping the 30 threshold for the earliest-ever time in the city.
Elsewhere, Shimonita in Gunma Prefecture registered 29.4, Daigo in Ibaraki Prefecture 29.1 and Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture 29.0.
Temperatures rose to 28.8 in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, 28.4 in Toyama, and 25.2 in Kyoto.
The agency attributed the summer heat to a high pressure system from the south and the foehn phenomenon, when dry wind coming down a mountain warms up as it descends.