The timing of the Cherry eruption in Japan peaked at 1,200 years – and experts suspect climate change

In fact, this year Kyoto has seen its first cherry blossom season in 1,209 years, according to data collected by Osaka University.

The flowers of 2021 have reached March 26, which has not happened since 812 AD, according to data. Cherry blossoms are about to hit the record – most soaring on March 27 a few times – records show.

Yasuyuki Aono, a researcher at Osaka Prefecture University, wrote in the study that he uses diaries and records about cherry blossoms, or “sakura,” kept by kings, nobles, administrators and monks in Kyoto, dating to 812.

“Sakura flowers are very sensitive to temperatures,” wrote Aono. “Flowers and full blooms can be premature or later depending on the temperature alone.”

The high rate earlier this year is likely due to climate change, experts told the Associated Press. Cherry blossoms in Japan usually bloom in April, and the time of flowering can provide information on climate change studies, says Shunji Anbe, chief research officer at Japan Meteorological Agency.

“We can say that it is very possible because of the impact of global warming,” Anbe said, reports the AP.

According to the centre’s data, the average temperature in Kyoto was also slightly higher – 51.1 degrees Fahrenheit in March 2020, compared to 47.5 degrees Fahrenheit in March 1953. March this year in Japan was 54.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cherry blossoms have also reached the top in other Japanese cities this year, such as Tokyo. According to the data of the center’s sakura blossom, cherry blossoms increased significantly six days earlier in Osaka compared to last year, and eight days earlier compared to normal years. They also climbed nine days earlier in Hiroshima compared to last year, and ten days earlier compared to normal years.

Cherry blossoms also bring spring to Washington DC On average, flowers blooming in the nation’s capital bloom every week of March to the first week of April, according to the Cherry Blossom Watch.

However, the weather can also change. The National Park Service said 70% of the cherry blossoms had been in bloom since March 28, the equivalent of normal. “Warmer or cooler temperatures caused a major boom on March 15 (1990) and April 18 (1958),” the National Park Service said.