After a few cool days, warm weather has returned. But, it doesn’t look like we will go over 35 C (95 F) today so, for the time being, Kikuchi’s record of 29 days over the 35 C mark (the moshobi or “scorcher” line) should remain the same. As you can see in the graphic, 29 days of 35 or higher puts Kikuchi in a tie for the number three spot and the Kumamoto City area is tied for 6th with 26 such days. If you go to the web site and check out previous years, I think you’ll find that it’s quite unusual for Kumamoto to be ranked so high in the “scorcher” competition.
Go Kikuchi!!! (just kidding ;) )
– Kirk
P.S. With a temperature of just over 30 C (86 F) today, we are having a manatsubi (a “summer day”) – the second category in the graphic. When it comes to manatsubi, Okinawa leads. I think it’s interesting, though, that the leaders for moshobi (scorchers) are all in Kyushu. Okinawa doesn’t have as many really hot days as we do, probably because of the cooling ocean winds.