TOKYO (TVBS News) — The Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) announced on Thursday (Feb. 15) the fourth forecast for the cherry blossom season in 2024, which projected blossoms in Tokyo to start opening on March 23 and to reach full bloom on March 30.
The prediction is for earlier bloom dates due to this year's higher-than-normal temperatures, the JMC explained.
In Kyoto, the forecast predicts the sakura to start blooming on March 24, reaching peak bloom on April 1, as per the JMC estimation.
The JMC noted that compared to its third forecast, the latest one predicts that Northern Japan will see the blossom a day or two earlier. However, there's a delay of one to two days for many areas in Eastern and Western Japan.
The company also anticipates the earliest blossoms to appear in Kochi on March 20, followed by areas such as Kanto Koushin, Tokai, and Kyushu.
In related news, Weathernews, a private weather information provider, released its third sakura bloom forecast, concurring that this year's bloom period will be earlier than previous years, particularly in the Hokuriku Region and Northern Japan, where it will start over a week ahead of schedule.