From today's 20th (Friday) to tomorrow 21st (Saturday), northern Japan will experience stormy weather and Hokkaido will be on alert for traffic disruptions due to heavy blizzard.

2026/03/20 13:11

There is a low pressure system developing in the northern Sea of Japan, and it is moving northeast.
It is expected to pass near Hokkaido from today's 20th (Friday/Vernal Equinox Day) to tomorrow 21st (Saturday) and head east of the Kuril Islands.
As a result, warm, humid air will flow toward low pressure systems and fronts, and cold air will enter the upper atmosphere, making atmospheric conditions in northern Japan extremely unstable.
Snow will fall over a wide area, mainly from Hokkaido to Tohoku on the Sea of Japan side, and in some places it will fall heavily, accompanied by thunder. There will also be a large gradient in atmospheric pressure and winds will become stronger. It is expected that there will be snowstorms in some places.



In the southern part of Hokkaido on the Sea of Japan side, please be on guard for traffic disruptions due to heavy blizzard and snowdrifts from early morning until the morning of the 21st (Saturday). In the Sea of Japan and western Pacific Ocean areas of Hokkaido, please be aware of traffic disruptions and strong winds due to snowdrifts and snowdrifts from late night on the 20th (Friday) to early afternoon on the 21st (Saturday).
Also, please be aware of tornadoes, strong gusts of wind, lightning, hail, and sudden heavy rain from around noon on Friday the 20th to around noon on Saturday the 21st.

In the Kamikawa and Rumoi regions of Hokkaido, please be aware of heavy snow that may cause snow on power lines from late on the night of the 20th (Friday) until the early afternoon of the 21st (Saturday), and in the central and southern parts of Kamikawa from the early hours of the 21st (Saturday) to the evening of the 21st (Saturday), traffic disruptions and avalanches are expected.

A cold front extending from this low pressure system is expected to pass through the Tohoku region tonight.
At sea on the Sea of Japan side of Tohoku, please be on guard for stormy winds from the west accompanied by snow from late night on the 20th (Friday) to early morning on the 21st (Saturday). Also, please be careful of tornadoes, strong gusts of wind, lightning, and hail from the evening of the 20th (Friday) to late at night, mainly on the Sea of Japan side of Tohoku.




#Wind forecast
Maximum wind speed (maximum instantaneous wind speed) expected on the 20th (Friday)
Northern sea on the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido 15 meters (25 meters)
Southern land on the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido 18 meters (30 meters)
Southern sea on the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido, western sea on the Pacific side 20 meters (30 meters)

Maximum wind speed (maximum instantaneous wind speed) expected on the 21st (Saturday)
Northern land on the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido 15 meters (30 meters)
Southern Hokkaido on the Sea of Japan side, western land on the Pacific side 18 meters (30 meters)
Northern and southern Hokkaido on the Sea of Japan side, western sea on the Pacific side 20 meters (30 meters)

Maximum wind speed (maximum instantaneous wind speed) expected from the 20th (Friday) to the 21st (Saturday)
Tohoku Sea of Japan side Sea 20 meters (30 meters)
Tohoku Sea of Japan side Land 15 meters (30 meters)

#Snow forecast
24-hour snowfall forecast from 6:00 a.m. on the 20th (Friday) to 6:00 a.m. on the 21st (Saturday) is expected in some places:
Northern Kamikawa, Northern Rumoi, Chubu, Hokkaido 10cm
Chubu Kamikawa, Southern Rumoi, Southern Hokkaido 15 cm

The 24-hour snowfall expected from 6:00 a.m. on Saturday the 21st to 6:00 a.m. on Sunday the 22nd is expected to be heavy in some places:
Northern Rumoi, Chubu 15cm
Northern Kamikawa, Southern Rumoi 20cm
Chubu Kamikawa, Southern 30cm

Weather for the week: Expect many cloudy and rainy days on the Pacific side; cherry blossoms blooming smoothly

2026/03/20 07:52

From now on, the weather will change in short cycles. Fronts and low-pressure systems are likely to pass near Honshu, and there are likely to be places on the Pacific side of western and eastern Japan that will experience heavy rain.



Tomorrow, the 21st (Saturday), high pressure will cover a wide area around Honshu, and many places in western and eastern Japan will be sunny. In Hokkaido, there will be snow in the morning due to the influence of a low pressure system accompanied by strong cold air, and it is likely that there will be a blizzard in some places. The weather will improve in the afternoon. Clouds tend to spread around Okinawa, and please be careful of thunderstorms in the Sakishima Islands.

On the 22nd (Sunday), the last day of the three-day weekend, a low-pressure system is approaching western Japan, and rain is expected to occur in many places in the afternoon. Warm, humid air will flow towards the low pressure system, and in some places on the Pacific coast, such as Kyushu and Shikoku, there will be heavy rain accompanied by thunder. Please be careful about how it rains.
The low pressure system is moving eastward along the southern coast of Honshu, and rain is likely to spread to the Pacific side of eastern Japan on the 23rd (Monday). In northern Japan, there will be some places where it will rain due to the passage of a low pressure system or trough of pressure. After the three-day weekend, there will be cloudy and rainy weather in many places, and the sky will likely not be clear.

After that, the Pacific side will tend to be more susceptible to the effects of low pressure and fronts, and there will likely be more cloudy and rainy days. On the other hand, the Sea of Japan side is easily covered by high pressure, and compared to the Pacific Ocean side, there will be relatively more sunny days.

The maximum temperature throughout the period will be at or above normal, and in some places it will rise to around 20c. It looks like cherry blossoms are blooming smoothly in various places.
However, pollen continues to scatter. From here on out, the peak of cedar pollen is likely to subside little by little, but the amount of cypress pollen being dispersed is likely to increase. After the rain, the amount of scattering tends to increase, so you need to be careful. If you are susceptible to symptoms, please continue to take precautions.

1-month forecast High temperatures expected nationwide West and East Japan have many cloudy and rainy days Expect water shortages to be resolved

2026/03/19 21:13

On the 19th (Thursday), the Japan Meteorological Agency announced the latest one-month forecast, which shows the weather outlook for the next month.



From now on, western and eastern Japan are expected to gradually experience a trough in atmospheric pressure, making them more susceptible to the effects of fronts and cyclones. Additionally, a low pressure system will be located in the north of Japan, and the cold air will be less likely to move south. As a result of these effects, warm southerly air heading toward low pressure systems and fronts will easily enter the Honshu area, and temperatures are expected to be higher than normal nationwide. The area around Okinawa and Amami will likely be covered by high pressure.



The Pacific side of western and eastern Japan will be susceptible to the effects of fronts and low pressure. Fronts are likely to form near Honshu, and the weather is likely to be more cloudy and rainy.
As a result, precipitation for the month will tend to be around normal or slightly higher than normal, mainly from the Pacific side of western Japan to eastern Japan. Rainfall has been low since mid-November last year, but the water shortage seems to be improving little by little. However, there is a possibility that the effects of light rain will remain in some areas, so caution is required in some areas.

On the 19th, it was announced that cherry blossoms would bloom in Tokyo and Hiroshima. All the locations where cherry blossoms have been announced so far are at least 5 days earlier than normal. As temperatures continue to rise across the country, cherry blossoms will begin to bloom at a rapid pace, and many places will reach their peak. As we enter April, it is likely that some places in western and eastern Japan will experience "summer days" with maximum temperatures of 25 C or higher.

[Cherry blossom bloom forecast in Shikoku region] Will there be fewer days for cherry blossom viewing this year 10-day weather forecast (commentary: weather forecaster Junko Miyake)

2026/03/19 14:41

Today we will tell you the latest forecast for cherry blossom blooming in the Shikoku region in 2026.



Cherry blossoms bloomed in Kochi on March 16th, making it the top blooming cherry tree in Japan for
Someiyoshino.

In addition, cherry blossoms have bloomed in Nagoya, Gifu, and Kofu, and today, cherry blossoms bloomed in Tokyo.

In various places, the flowers are blooming about a week earlier than normal.
When will the flowers bloom in the Shikoku region




The next flowering area in the Shikoku region after Kochi is Matsuyama, which is predicted to be around March 22nd.

Next, the flowers will bloom in Takamatsu around March 24th, and in Tokushima around March 27th.
We think that Tokushima will bloom a day or two earlier than expected.



There are standards for cherry blossom blooming.
This is a specimen tree that is used by the Japan Meteorological Agency to monitor flowering conditions.
A state in which 5 to 6 flowers have bloomed is called flowering.
The tree is said to be in full bloom when more than 80% of the buds are open.
The number of days from flowering to full bloom depends on the weather and location, but on average it takes about a week.
It would be a good idea to plan for cherry blossom viewing from late March to early April.



However, it seems that there will be few good days for cherry blossom viewing in March.

Looking at the weather forecast for the next 10 days, it seems that the three-day weekend starting tomorrow from the vernal equinox will be sunny for a longer period of time than the first half of
.

On the last day of the holidays, the 22nd (Sunday), a low pressure system approaches from the west, and the weather is going downhill.
It will rain from the night of the 22nd (Sunday) to the morning of the 23rd (Monday).

Low pressure systems will continue to arrive periodically next week, bringing rain, so
there will be fewer cherry blossom viewing days under blue skies.

However, although it will be cloudy on the 24th (Tuesday),
we can expect clear skies,
and the sunny skies will continue around the 28th (Saturday) and 29th (Sunday),
so it would be a good idea to plan cherry blossom viewing around here.

However, the forecast may still change, so please check the latest information and enjoy cherry blossom viewing.

[Breaking News: Cherry Blossoms Blooming in Tokyo] Are there not many good days for cherry blossom viewing this year When is it recommended (Commentary: Weather forecaster Atsuko Miyake)

2026/03/19 14:09

Today, March 19th (Thursday) at 2:00 pm, it was announced that cherry blossoms have bloomed in Tokyo.
In Tokyo, the flowers bloomed 5 days earlier than normal and 5 days earlier than last year.
Including the locations where it has bloomed so far,
is blooming about a week earlier than normal.



Let's take a look at the flowering forecast for areas that have not yet bloomed.

It is expected that Hiroshima will bloom soon, on March 20th, the day of the vernal equinox.

Fukuoka is expected to arrive around the 20th or 21st.

The cherry blossom front is expected to bloom in Osaka around March 25th, and as the cherry blossom front moves north,
in Sendai, it is expected to bloom around April 3rd.
The cherry blossom front is likely to enter the Tohoku region and Michinoku soon in April.
It is around April 13th in Akita and around April 26th in Sapporo.

This year, it is likely that many places will bloom about a week earlier than normal or even earlier than normal.

The news about the cherry blossoms blooming continues to arrive, and
I am wondering when I can enjoy cherry blossom viewing.



From here on out, low pressure systems will arrive periodically,
and the weather will continue to be prone to rain until the middle of next week.

A low-pressure system will develop around the 23rd (Monday), so strong winds will blow that will blow away the flowers. However, the cherry blossoms, which have only recently bloomed, will not fall right away.

It looks like we can still enjoy cherry blossom viewing at the end of March.



As of 2:00 pm today, March 19th, the forecast is that there will be clear skies around the 24th (Tuesday),
and cherry blossom viewing will be enjoyable in western and eastern Japan.

From around the 25th (Wednesday), a low pressure system will pass near Honshu again, so the weather will continue to be prone to rain.
However, in western Japan, the next Saturday and Sunday,
28th (Sat) to 29th (Sun), will be sunny and you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing.

Eastern Japan will also be sunny around the 29th (Sunday), so you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing and cherry blossom viewing at night.

Today is a sunny day of spring from western Japan to eastern Japan, and temperatures remain high even during the three-day weekend.

2026/03/19 07:01

Today, the 19th (Thursday), it will be clear and sunny from western to eastern Japan, and temperatures will rise. It looks like it will be a warm day for this time of year, comparable to early to mid-April in many places. During the day, the weather will be relatively pleasant and sunny. In northern Japan, the temperature will rise slowly due to the influence of cold air in the upper atmosphere, and it will likely be colder than usual for this time of year.

The predicted maximum temperature in each region is Sapporo: 6c, Sendai: 15c, Tokyo: 19c, Nagoya: 18c, Kanazawa: 13c, Osaka: 17c, Kochi: 20c, Fukuoka: 16c.



On the 20th (Friday), the first day of tomorrow's three-day holiday, cold air is expected to flow into northern Japan, and temperatures are expected to reach normal levels in many places until the 21st (Saturday), but on the 22nd (Sunday), warm air will flow in from the south, causing temperatures to rise again in many places.
On the 22nd (Sunday), Sapporo is expected to have a maximum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, which is likely to be the first double-digit temperature this year.
As the snow continues to melt in areas with heavy snowfall, it is important to be careful about snowmelt disasters.
Also, cherry blossoms were announced to bloom in Kochi, Gifu, and Kofu on the 17th, and in Nagoya on the 18th. The cherry blossoms will continue to grow this weekend, and it looks like there will be some places where you can receive news.
It would be a good idea to go see cherry blossoms during the three-day weekend.

Weather for today, the 19th (Thursday): Weather gradually improving from the west; rain in Kanto until morning

2026/03/19 06:25

Today, the 19th (Thursday), the low pressure system and front that brought rain over a wide area the previous day (18th) will gradually move away to the east of Japan, so the weather will improve in many places during the day, even if there is still rain in the morning.



Clouds tend to spread in Hokkaido due to the influence of cold air above, and there are likely to be places where it will snow or rain. Please pay attention to changes in the sky.

The sky in Tohoku is dominated by clouds on the Sea of Japan side. There will be some rain and snow until the morning, but it is expected to stop by the afternoon. Sunshine will reach the Pacific side.

Although there will be some areas of eastern and western Japan where the rain will remain until the morning, the weather will gradually improve and many areas will see sunshine in the afternoon. Please be aware that in the Kanto region, there is a risk of strong rain and wind during commuting hours. Also, please be careful not to leave your rain gear behind when you return.

Clouds tend to spread in Okinawa, and there are times when it rains, so please prepare rain gear when going out.

[Forecast for cherry blossom blooming in the Chugoku region] Will it be early this year When is cherry blossom viewing (Commentary: Weather forecaster Atsuko Miyake)

2026/03/18 14:16

Today we will tell you the latest forecast for cherry blossom blooming in the Kyushu region in 2026.



Yesterday, cherry blossoms bloomed in Nagoya.
Including the locations where it has bloomed so far,
is blooming about a week earlier than normal.
What will happen to the cherry blossoms in the Chugoku region


This year's cherry blossoms are expected to bloom earlier than normal in the Chugoku region.

The reason why the forecast is earlier than normal in the Chugoku region is that the temperature in February of this year was higher.



Let's take a look at the maximum temperatures since February 1 of this year compared to normal years at Hiroshima in Sanyo and Matsue in Sanin.

Temperatures were warmer than normal in Sanyo, especially from mid-to-late February, and even in Sanin, there were days when temperatures were 5 to 10 degrees Celsius above normal.

The cold weather returned in March, but the unusually warm weather in February seems to have helped the cherry blossom buds grow smoothly.
For this reason, we expect the flowers to bloom earlier than normal.



Let's take a look at the flowering forecasts for each region.

The earliest flowering area in the Chugoku region is predicted to be in Hiroshima on March 20th, the vernal equinox.

Next, Shimonoseki is expected to arrive around March 24th,
Matsue around March 26th, Tottori around March 27th, and Okayama around March 28th.
However, I think that Okayama will bloom a day or two earlier.



There are standards for the blooming of this cherry blossom.
This is a specimen tree that is used by the Japan Meteorological Agency to monitor flowering conditions.
A state in which 5 to 6 flowers have bloomed is called flowering.
Also, the same tree is said to be in full bloom when more than 80% of its buds are open.

The number of days from flowering to full bloom depends on the weather and location, but
on average it takes about a week.
It would be a good idea to plan for cherry blossom viewing from late March to early April.



Let's take a look at the detailed weather ahead.
There will be widespread rain this afternoon, followed by heavy rain tonight.
If you will be returning home late, please bring a large umbrella.

It looks like the rain will stop at dawn on the 19th (Thursday).
The weather will improve during the day tomorrow, with sunny skies returning.

On Friday the 20th, the vernal equinox, both the Sanyo and Sanin areas will be sunny, and the sun will feel warm during the day.

The clouds will increase towards the end of the three-day weekend, but the weather will not deteriorate.
The front will remain stationary in the first half of next week, making it cloudy and rainy.
However, the temperature will be high, and it will be warm enough to make the cherry blossom buds swell.

[Rain clouds spreading from the west] There are some places where the rain is getting stronger tonight. What will the weather be like for the 3-day weekend (Commentary: Weather forecaster Atsuko Miyake)

2026/03/18 14:01

The Pacific side of western and eastern Japan has been experiencing low rainfall since last fall.

Today, rain clouds are spreading from the west,
It looks like it will be a ``blessing rain'' for areas that have had little rain.



This is what the rain clouds look like at 11am.
There are rain clouds over western Japan due to low pressure and fronts.
However, there are no very well-developed rain clouds, and it is only a light rain of around 1mm per hour.



After this, it will start raining in the Kinki and Tokai regions in the evening, and
it will start raining in Hokuriku at night.

By the time the date changes, there are likely to be some places in Kyushu, Shikoku, and the Tokai region where
there will be heavy rain accompanied by thunder.
Please be careful of sudden rain, lightning, and gusts of wind.

When the date changes to tomorrow,
it will start raining in the Kanto and northern Tohoku regions, and
it is likely to snow in some places in the northern Tohoku region and high mountains.

There are likely to be some places where the rain peaks during the dark hours of the night.
However, the rain clouds that have developed are expected to move out to the eastern sea by tomorrow morning.



The low pressure system and front will move away from Honshu tomorrow night.
As the weather is covered by high pressure from the west, the weather is expected to improve from the west tomorrow.



Today, rain clouds will spread from the west,
It will rain from Kyushu to Tohoku.
In Shikoku, there is a risk of heavy rain accompanied by thunder late at night, so please be careful about how it rains.

Temperatures will be high even with rain,
Western and Eastern Japan will likely reach 15c to 20c.



The rain tomorrow will last until morning,
It will be sunny in many places during the day.
In Hokkaido and northern Tohoku, cold air will move in in the afternoon,
There are likely to be some places where it will snow or rain.

The warm air remains,
daytime tomorrow will be as warm as mid to late April.
Please wear clothes that are easy to put on and take off tomorrow.



Weekly weather.
For the three-day weekend starting on the 20th, the vernal equinox, the Pacific side is expected to be sunny for the first half of the day,
being covered by high pressure.
In the latter half of the holidays, the sun is likely to reach even the Sea of Japan side of northern Japan.

For the first half of next week, the front will remain stationary near Honshu,
and the weather will continue to be cloudy and rainy.

Heavy rain will occur over a wide area from today 18th (Wednesday) to tomorrow 19th (Thursday)

2026/03/18 12:52

Rain is expected to fall over a wide area from today, the 18th (Wednesday) to tomorrow, the 19th (Thursday), due to the effects of a low pressure system and front passing near Honshu.
After this, the high pressure system covering the area around Honshu will move to the east of Japan, and the low pressure system with a front from the East China Sea will approach the area around Kyushu. The area of rain will gradually spread from western Japan to eastern Japan and northern Japan.



Rain has already begun in some places in the Kyushu and Kinki regions. After this, the rain is expected to spread to the Tokai and Hokuriku regions by the afternoon of Wednesday the 18th, and rain and snow are expected to start falling in the Kanto and Tohoku regions late at night. Even in areas where it's not currently raining, it's safe to go out with an umbrella.



Please be aware that in the Kyushu, Shikoku, Kinki, and Tokai regions, from tonight until dawn on the 19th (Thursday), the rain will temporarily intensify as a front passes through, and it is likely that there will be some places with thunderstorms.



In the morning of tomorrow, Thursday the 19th, snow and rain will begin to fall in southern Hokkaido. In the Hokkaido region, another low-pressure system is approaching from the coastal region, and there will be snow and rain in some places in the afternoon, mainly on the Sea of Japan side.
Clouds tend to spread even on the Japan Sea side from Tohoku to Hokuriku, and there are some places where it will continue to rain or snow, but the weather will gradually improve in the afternoon.

The rain in western and eastern Japan is expected to stop by the afternoon of tomorrow, the 19th (Thursday).

In the Okinawa region, clouds will likely spread tomorrow (Thursday, the 19th) due to the influence of the front, and there will be some places where it will rain for a while.