The snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji is one of the most iconic sights in Japan.
But this year the volcano’s slopes have remained bare – the latest date since records began 130 years ago.
On average, Mount Fuji’s snow cap starts to form on October 2. Last year, it began forming on October 5.
The country has seen warmer temperatures than usual this year, its meteorological office said, contributing to the late snowfall on Fuji’s peak.
This is the latest date for snowfall since records began in 1894, forecaster Yutaka Katsuta said. The previous record, of October 26, had been recorded twice in 1955 and 2016.
Yutaka added: ‘Temperatures were high this summer, and these high temperatures continued into September, deterring cold air.’
Japan has seen its joint hottest summer on record this year, equalling the record set last year, and Yutaka said climate change could have had an impact on the delay in the snow cap’s formation.
But thankfully snow is set to return to Fuji soon, as the Japan Weather Association predicts the first snow at the peak could fall by November 7, after rainfall early next week.
