27.7 degrees. Never before has a March day been as hot in Japan's capital as Sunday's record.

But the heat comes a little late for the famous cherry blossoms.

The record temperature was measured in the Chiyoda district of Tokyo at noon on Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The 27.7 degrees Celsius (81.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is the highest March temperature since records began in 1876.

Spring temperatures of around 25 degrees are also being reported in the rest of Japan, thanks to high pressure, writes the EFE news agency.

Earlier in the month, however, it has been relatively chilly in Tokyo. This has contributed to the cherry blossoms being unexpectedly late. The cherry trees are a major attraction in Japan, and every year, people eagerly await the JMA's announcement of when the spring blossoms will begin.

This year, the official announcement only came last Friday, five days later than normal and a full two weeks later than last year, Japanese media reports.

Source:TT-Aftonbladet.se