InsideJapan News Network

Japan's rainy season has started in the country's Kanto region, it has emerged.

Reports by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) have revealed that the start of the rainy season in Kanto has arrived ahead of its start in northern Kyushu, according to Mainichi Daily News.

The late start of the season in northern Kyushu has not occurred for 13 years.

According to japan-guide.com: "The rainy season is caused by the collision of cold northerly and warm southerly air masses, which results in a relatively stable bad weather front over the Japanese archipelago for several weeks."

The country's island of Hokkaido is affected by the rainy season only infrequently and the islands of Okinawa see the start earlier than the rest of the country, the website also revealed.

The JMA also noted that the early arrival of the rain in Kanto has occurred on no more than five occasions since records began in 1951.