News Navigator: Is global warming causing more rain disasters in Japan?
July 24, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
The Tenjo River in Hiroshima Prefecture is seen flooding surrounding areas following torrential rains, in this photo taken from a Mainichi Shimbun helicopter on July 8, 2021. (Mainichi)
Heavy rains have wreaked havoc here in Japan as well as abroad in 2021, as they have many times in recent years. The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the torrential rains that have become more frequent in the past decade or so.
Question: Is the number of heavy rain events increasing?
Answer: According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), in the 10 years since 2011, the country saw an annual average of 334 torrential rain events in which rainfall of at least 50 millimeters per hour, or "waterfall-like rain," was recorded. This is 1.5 times the average recorded between 1976 and 1985, which was roughly 226 times a year. Experts have pointed out that this trend is likely caused by rising air temperatures due to global warming.