03.15.11
World Wide Weather #34: Sendai, Japan
This week’s post in the global weather and climate series features Sendai, Japan, one of the hardest-hit cities by last week’s 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
Montage of Sendai, from Wikipedia
Founded in 1600, Sendai, known also by its nickname “The City of Trees”, is the capital of Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. The city is situated on the northeastern coast of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, and stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Ōu Mountains. The highest point in the city is Mount Funagata (about 4,950 feet, or 1,500 meters tall). Sendai has a population of just over 1 million.
On Friday, March 11, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a tsunami of up to 33 feet (10 meters) tragically affected Sendai and many nearby cities. The following image, from Wikipedia (taken by the U.S. Navy), shows Sendai after the tsunami.
A few more facts about Sendai (from Wikipedia):
- Time zone: Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Elevation: near sea level, but hilly
- Climate zone: Humid subtropical (cool, relatively dry winters and warm, wet summers)
- Average high temperature: 61 °F (16 °C)
- Average low temperature: 47 °F (9 °C)
- Average annual high/low temperature range: 41 to 82 °F (5 to 28 °C) / 28 to 70 °F (-2 to 21 °C)
- Average annual precipitation: 49 inches (1,242 mm)
- Average annual snowfall: 35 inches (90 cm)
Weather: The weather station in Sendai, located at Sendai Airport, stopped reporting as soon as the tsunami struck it, presumably damaging or destroying the instruments if not carrying them away. That being said, temperatures in the area have been fairly cool and typical for this time of year.
Currently, the primary surface feature near Japan is a surface low sitting off the east coast of the country, and this low will rapidly strengthen as it moves to the northeast.
Highs in Sendai this week will be around 40 °F until Saturday, when the temperature is expected to warm up to the mid-50s. Lows will range from the mid-20s to near 30 °F. There is a slight chance of some rain and snow almost every day and night this week (the greatest chance for snow is tonight).
Please keep the people of Japan and everyone affected by the recent disaster in your thoughts and prayers, including the aid workers and those working tirelessly and bravely to keep the nuclear damage at a minimum.
For weather maps and information on current and forecast Sendai weather, see the Japan Meteorological Agency, Weather Underground and Weather Online UK (maps and models).
For a bit more information on Sendai, here’s a link to Wikipedia
Next Tuesday I plan to take a look at the climate and weather in another part of the globe. As always, if you have any suggestions for future cities, please leave a comment!