TOKYO - The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on Nov 1 that the average temperature for October reached its highest level since 1898, when record-keeping of comparable data began.

       Average October temperatures in 15 locations throughout Japan were 2.21 deg C higher than the average for the almost 30 years from 1991 to 2020.

       The agency said the spike was due to strong high-pressure systems in eastern Japan and other factors.

       The average was calculated based on temperatures observed in 15 locations across the nation where the effects of urbanisation are relatively small.

       In addition to the national average, 149 regional locations across the nation where meteorological observatories and other facilities are located were also higher than previous years in October. The averages rose 1.9 deg C in northern Japan, 2.6 deg C in eastern Japan and 2.6 deg C in western Japan. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK