Japan’s weather agency to extend daily forecasts to two weeks
Japan's weather agency plans to extend daily forecasts to two weeks to help people and businesses prepare for extreme weather events. The agency will aim to make the updates by 2030.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Japan's weather agency plans to extend daily forecasts to two weeks to help people and businesses prepare for extreme weather events. The agency will aim to make the updates by 2030. The new forecasts will include detailed information on the likelihood of warning-level heavy rain and snow.
Imagine you're planning a trip to Japan, but you're not sure what the weather will be like. Japan's weather agency wants to help you by making their forecasts more accurate and detailed, so you can plan better. They're going to make their forecasts go from 5 days to 2 weeks, so you can get a better idea of what the weather will be like.
Analysis
Japan’s Weather Agency to Extend Daily Forecasts to Two Weeks
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) plans to make longer-term weather forecasts more detailed and accurate, to help people and businesses better prepare for extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent. An expert panel convened by the agency recently compiled a report on improving weather forecasts, proposing that, with advances in climate data observations and simulations, it is possible and desirable to extend detailed forecasting from the current five days to two weeks.
The JMA’s daily forecasts include the day’s weather, high and low temperatures, chance of rain, and the forecasts’ confidence levels. The new report also proposed extending from five days to two weeks the period for which the agency provides information on the likelihood of warning-level heavy rain and snow. The agency said it will aim to make the updates to forecasting operations — the first in three decades — by 2030.
The report cited examples of recent extreme weather events in Japan, including last year’s record number of ambulance calls for heatstroke cases and the record rainfall in Kumamoto Prefecture. The agency said the updates will not only help people better prepare for disasters and heatstroke but also aid businesses in planning and adjusting manufacturing and transport schedules as well as maintaining a stable power supply.
The agency also proposed that, for monthly weather forecasts, it will provide temperature comparisons with more recent periods, such as the past three years. Currently, the JMA indicates whether temperatures are expected to be “higher” or “lower” than the 30-year average. With global warming, temperature forecasts are most often described as “higher than normal.” Such wording does not match people’s actual experiences or meet their needs, the report said.
The updates will help people and businesses better prepare for extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent in Japan. The agency’s report highlights the importance of accurate and detailed weather forecasts in supporting adaptation to climate change.
Key points
- Japan's weather agency plans to extend daily forecasts to two weeks
- The agency will aim to make the updates by 2030
- The new forecasts will include detailed information on the likelihood of warning-level heavy rain and snow
- The agency will provide temperature comparisons with more recent periods for monthly weather forecasts
The extension of daily forecasts to two weeks will help people and businesses better prepare for extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent in Japan. This will lead to fewer accidents and less damage from natural disasters.
If the updates to forecasting operations are delayed, it may lead to a lack of preparedness for extreme weather events, resulting in more accidents and damage from natural disasters.