Warmest March in recorded history for much of Japan
Image credit: The Watchers (stock)
In 2023, much of Japan experienced the warmest March in recorded history. The unprecedented warmth has led to a record early bloom of cherry blossoms in many places.
On March 14, Tokyo officially entered its cherry blossom season — also known as Sakura season — marking the earliest onset in history and matching the records of 2020 and 2021. Typically beginning in late March and extending into early April, this season heralds the advent of spring. During this period, Japan is enveloped in a breathtaking display of delicate pale pink cherry blossoms. For the Japanese people, this natural spectacle symbolizes a new beginning.
Back to raw data… at least 182 weather stations in Japan, which accounts for 20% of the nation, experienced the warmest March day on record on Wednesday, March 22. Osaka had 25.2 °C (77.4 °F), marking the earliest occurrence of a temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) in the city’s 140-year history, meteorologist Sayaka Mori reports.
Many new records were broken on Thursday, March 23, when 94 weather stations recorded their highest temperature ever for the month of March.
Akita City, for example, had 22.8 °C (73 °F), making it the warmest March day since records started in 1883.
In Tokyo, the Sakura season is now almost over.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
