Atmospheric Conditions Very Unstable across Japan on New Year’s Day; Meteorological Agency Warns of Lightning, Intense Gusts, Heavy Rains

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:45 JST, December 31, 2023

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced Sunday that cold air, with temperatures below minus 27 C, will flow in the sky about 5,500 meters above Japan through Monday.

Also, a low-pressure system will develop in the western part of the Sea of Japan on Sunday and move eastward. The moist and cold air flowing toward the low-pressure system will make the atmospheric conditions very unstable mainly in western Japan and part of eastern Japan along the Sea of Japan.

The agency warned of lightning strikes, intense winds and sudden heavy rains across the country until dawn on New Year’s Day.

According to the weather report issued by the agency at 10:40 a.m. Sunday, the Kanto-Koshin region will be cloudy and rainy Sunday, with some snow in mountainous areas.

The forecast daytime high in central Tokyo, where the temperature had risen to 14.4 C Saturday, is 10 C. Yokohama City is expected to be 12 C.