Japanese scientists are anxiously looking at the top of their country's highest mountain. Mount Fuji, a stratovolcano with a height of 3776 meters, should be snow white at this time of year. But here it is the second day that there has been no rain. Experts emphasize that such a situation has occurred for the first time since the end of the 19th century, when data collection began.
The formation of snow on the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan usually begins on October 2 and traditionally marks the change of season in the country. From time to time deviations from the norm are observed, but scientists have not recorded such a long period without snowfall before.
The lack of snow on Monday, October 28, broke the previous record set in 2016 and 1955, when precipitation waited until October 26. Such an anomaly has occurred for the first time since 1894, when data collection began.
“The temperature has been high this summer.”
Some experts attribute this year's situation to the record hot and extremely long summer in Japan. In 2024, the Land of the Rising Sun, like the rest of the world, struggled with extreme heat waves.
Yutaka Katsuta, a forecaster at the Kofu Local Meteorological Office, said: “The temperature has been high this summer and has continued until September, which has stopped the cold weather.”
According to the expert, climate change can affect the delay in the formation of the snow layer to some extent.
Mount Fuji covered in snow Shutterstock
Active stratovolcano
Fuji is located on the island of Honshu, Japan. The country's highest peak is also an active stratovolcano that last erupted about 300 years ago.
Most of the year, the slopes of the mountain are covered with snow, and it disappears in the summer. Then most of the tourists decided to climb the mountain at night and watch the sunrise from the height of 3776 meters.
Main image source: Shutterstock
