Japan's highest mountain is without snow for the first time in 130 years: what's happening on Mount Fuji

There are a few days left in November, but Japan' s highest mountain is still not covered with a blanket of snow. According to scientists, this is an alarming anti-record, observed for the first time in 130 years.

The summit of Mount Fuji is usually covered with snow by early October. The lack of snow cover is alarming, as it indicates a climate crisis, CNN reports.

According to scientists, the volcano's snow cap begins to form on average on October 2, and last year snow was first discovered there on October 5. "But due to the warm weather this year, snowfall has not yet been observed on Japan's highest mountain," said Yutaka Katsuta, a forecaster at the Kofu Meteorological Office.

According to him, the lack of snow as of October 29 surpasses the previous record of October 26, set in 1955 and 2016, TheJapanTimes reports.

"Temperatures have been high this summer, and the heat wave continued into September, keeping the cold air that brings snow at bay," Katsuta added. The forecaster noted that climate change may have an impact on the delay in snow cover formation.

According to meteorologists, this year's summer in Japan was the hottest on record, The Guardian reports.

According to an analysis by the Climate Central research group, temperatures in Japan remained unusually high in the fall. For example, in 74 cities across the country, researchers recorded temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius in the first week of October.

According to Climate Central, the unusual October heat experienced by Japan was caused by the climate crisis.

The extreme summer heat in Japan was not a localized event, scientists say. This summer, for the second year in a row, world heat records were broken, and 2024 is sure to be the hottest year in history, forecasters say.

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