Tokyo has recorded 34 consecutive days of rain, marking the longest such streak since Japan’s weather records began in 1886, the Japan Meteorological Agency has said.

Rain has fallen in central Tokyo every day since August 27, with approaching typhoons, a stalled autumn rain front and a low-pressure trough contributing to the prolonged wet weather.

The previous record was 33 consecutive days of precipitation, recorded between June 27 and July 29, 2019.

The heaviest rainfall during the current spell occurred on September 21, when central Tokyo received 156 millimetres of rain.

By Monday, rainfall in central Tokyo had reached 629 millimetres for September, nearly three times the normal monthly average. The figure was approaching the September record of 670.9 millimetres set in 1958.

Japan’s weather agency said the prolonged rainfall was partly linked to an unusual weather pattern, with an autumn rain front remaining over the region for longer than usual and a high-pressure system in the Pacific also persisting.

Masayuki Kyoda, an official of the Japan Meteorological Agency, said the weather pattern was partly influenced by the El Niño phenomenon, which brings higher temperatures in parts of the Pacific and can alter wind, pressure and rainfall patterns.

Kyoda said it was not possible to directly attribute the record-breaking rainy spell to climate change. However, he noted that a JMA report published last year concluded that global warming was affecting Japan’s weather over the long term, including through increased precipitation.

Rain also affected large parts of eastern and western Japan on Tuesday, with Echizen in Fukui Prefecture recording more than 30 millimetres within an hour.

The wet conditions were expected to persist across eastern Japan until around Thursday as the autumn rain front continued to influence the region.

The prolonged rainfall comes after heavy flooding in the wider Tokyo region and severe weather elsewhere in Asia, including Thailand, where recent flooding affected about 1.7 million people and killed 23 people since mid-September.