Mount Fuji just broke a 130-year record and we should all be worried

The snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji is one of the most iconic sights in Japan.

But this year the volcano’s slopes have remained bare – the latest date since records began 130 years ago.

On average, Mount Fuji’s snow cap starts to form on October 2. Last year, it began forming on October 5.

The country has seen warmer temperatures than usual this year, its meteorological office said, contributing to the late snowfall on Fuji’s peak.

This is the latest date for snowfall since records began in 1894, forecaster Yutaka Katsuta said. The previous record, of October 26, had been recorded twice in 1955 and 2016.

Yutaka added: ‘Temperatures were high this summer, and these high temperatures continued into September, deterring cold air.’

Japan has seen its joint hottest summer on record this year, equalling the record set last year, and Yutaka said climate change could have had an impact on the delay in the snow cap’s formation.

But thankfully snow is set to return to Fuji soon, as the Japan Weather Association predicts the first snow at the peak could fall by November 7, after rainfall early next week.

Mount Fuji, a symmetrical volcano immortalised in countless artworks, is covered in snow for most of the year.

The volcano last erupted about 300 years ago and it is the highest mountain in Japan.

The snow tends to melt over the summer, paving the way for hiking season which sees more than 220,000 people climb its steep slopes each year.

Many choose to hike overnight to watch the sun rise from the summit.

This year saw fewer hikers attempt the peak, however, after an entry fee and daily cap on numbers were introduced to try and fight overtourism.

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