Snow and store closures keep Tokyo crowds at bay over critical coronavirus weekend
A rare late-March snowfall coupled with numerous store closures helped keep Tokyo residents indoors Sunday, day two of a crucial weekend in the city's attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19. With snow falling across the Kanto region from morning until around noon, an icy ...
Last month was the hottest January on record, surpassing a previous high recorded in 2016, the U.S. climate service said Thursday. Land and ocean surface temperatures surpassed the 20th century January average of 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) by 2.05 degrees F (1.13 C), ...
Prayers grow for snow in Sapporo after dire shortage threatens annual sculpture festival
Every year, tens of thousands of tourists flock to the Sapporo Snow Festival, attracted by some 200 large but intricate ice sculptures. But this year, there was a problem: no snow. With high temperatures that festival-goers put down to climate change, organizers were forced to truck ...
Record-low snowfall puts Niigata city's plan to cool Tokyo Olympic venues in jeopardy
A city in Niigata Prefecture, known for its abundant snowfall every year, was planning to send snow to soccer stadiums and other facilities to be used at this year's Tokyo Olympic Games to tackle the heat. But amid record low snowfall this season, the city ...
Wipe out: Japan's ski slopes suffering worst winter in decades
Japan's ski resorts are suffering through one of the worst snow seasons on record, disappointing locals and foreign tourists, and jeopardizing the country's budding reputation as an international ski destination. In Hokkaido to the north, where resorts like Niseko are known for reliable, fresh powder, ...
A decade of climate science confirmed our suspicions
Japan's average temperature in 2019 hits record high, up nearly a degree from normal
The average temperature in Japan in 2019 hit the highest level since records began in 1898 and was nearly a degree warmer than in a typical year, according to the Meteorological Agency. The temperature exceeded the normal-year level by 0.92 degree Celsius, the agency said ...
Death toll in Jakarta flooding rises to 53; nearly 175,000 displaced
Nearly 175,000 people remain displaced in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta and nearby towns on Saturday after flash floods and landslides killed at least 53 people amid some of the heaviest rain since records began, authorities said. "The death toll has risen to 53 people, with ...
Team including Japanese researchers uses sea turtles to predict ocean temperature change
While measuring sea temperatures and predicting changes is key to long-term weather forecasts, a group of researchers have come up with an unusual way to improve the accuracy of prediction — attaching monitoring devices to sea turtles. The researchers released five sea turtles in Indonesia, ...
At least 50 people have died in Bangladesh as cold weather continues to sweep across the country, officials said. The country's lowest temperature this year — 4.5 degrees Celsius (40.1° Fahrenheit) — was recorded early Sunday in Tetulia, a border town in the north of ...
Lack of snow in, around Sapporo worries tourism officials, ski resort owners
Concerns are growing for tourism in Sapporo due to a serious shortage of snow in Hokkaido this year. Some ski resorts have yet to open, while organizers of the annual Sapporo Snow Festival are struggling to gather enough snow. "I've never experienced a shortage of snow ...
