Hooray, the weather has changed!
For the first time since June 22, the overnight low was under 20C. I slept with all the windows open last night and enjoyed the light chill of 18.2 degrees and low humidity.
For the next ten days, daytime highs are forecast to be 30 or under. A welcome change from the past 92 days. I am putting a pin on today and calling it the start of autumn. The weather service is hopeful, too, telling us that the temperature contrast between highs and lows means its time to dress in layers.
This summer is the hottest on record in Japan, beating out last year’s record heat. Here’s how it played out, June through September:
- 81 days over 30 C (86 F)
- 29 days over 33 (92 F)
- 6 days over 35 (95 F)
- Highest temperature was 36.1 on August 10
- August had a single day under 30.
It’s been brutal. The heat is accompanied by high humidity, making the wet bulb temperatures dangerous. The city’s nearly daily Extreme Heat announcements and heatstroke prevention warnings became almost meaningless because hardly anyone seems to slow down in the heat. Farmers gonna farm.
But I am one of the people who slows down in the heat despite my best intentions, so now I am going to relish these cool days and try to do some of the gardening, grass cutting, and landscaping that I failed to do in the heat.
Happy equinox!
