For the first time in 62 years, a region other than Okinawa Prefecture or the Amami islands in far southern Japan is in the grip of the rainy season before anywhere else.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said May 16 the rainy season appears to have come to southern Kyushu.
The start of the season in the region comes 23 days earlier than last year and 14 days earlier than in an average year.
More crucially, southern Kyushu is officially in the rainy season ahead of the Okinawa and Amami regions, which year after year have the honors.
A Pacific high-pressure front south of the main Honshu island has expanded out toward Okinawa, pushing the rainy season front northward toward Kyushu, the JMA said.
In the average year, the rainy season comes to Okinawa around May 10, but the JMA forecast for that region over the next week is for sunny or cloudy weather rather than rain.
Southern Kyushu could be hit by heavy rain in some areas between the evening of May 16 and 18, the agency added.
Some areas of the Pacific coast of western and eastern Japan could also be hit by heavy rain until May 17.
AloJapan.com