The Guardian (April 19)
A 1,200-year cherry blossom dataset shows that global warming is “unsettling nature’s rhythms.” Based on data associated with the late Professor Aono, peak bloom “now occurs around two weeks earlier than in previous centuries. In the 1820s full bloom arrived in mid-April. In 2023 the full-flowering date was 25 March.” The professor’s work indicates “that March temperatures in Kyoto have risen by several degrees since the early 19th century – enough to shift peak bloom by weeks rather than days.”
Tags: 1820s, Aono, Cherry blossom, Dataset, Earlier, Global warming, Kyoto, March 25, Mid-April, Nature’s rhythms, Peak bloom, Temperatures, Two weeks, Unsettling
NBC News (April 1)
“Japan’s famous cherry blossoms reached their peak earlier than ever before this year, with experts suggesting the record-setting date is the result of climate change.” Kyoto hit peak bloom on March 26, which was “10 days ahead of the 30-year average” and “the earliest peak bloom in more than 1,200 years.”
Tags: Cherry blossoms, Climate change, Earliest, Japan, Kyoto, Peak bloom, Record
