On Nov. 1, the Japan Meteorological agency announced that the average temperature in October in western Japan (Kyushu, Shikoku and Kinki regions) had beaten all previous records. October’s average temperature was 2°C higher than usual. Reasons for the higher temperature include the presence of a large anticyclone (high pressure) system in the area. The agency has been keeping statistics on the region since 1946. Higher than average temperatures follow a global trend that saw the six-month period from January to June 2016 become the planet’s warmest half-year on record, with an average temperature 1.3 degrees Celsius warmer than the late nineteenth century. Source: Chunichi Shimbun, 11/1
