春本番、桜開花ラッシュ　東京や京都など８地点

　気象庁は２９日、東京都千代田区（靖国神社）や京都市など東・西日本の８地点で桜（ソメイヨシノ）の標本木が開花したと発表した。前線が通過して春本番の暖かさとなり、開花ラッシュを迎えた。
　東京は平年に比べ５日遅く、１０年ぶりに平年より遅かった。昨年は３月１４日で、２０２０年や２１年と並ぶ最も早い記録だったため、昨年に比べると１５日も遅かった。
　２９日に開花したのは東京と京都のほか、鹿児島、佐賀、下関（山口県）、高松、鳥取、甲府。
　今春の桜開花は暖冬で早いと予想されたが、３月の寒の戻りが影響して平年や昨年より遅い所が多かった。２３日に高知からスタートし、主要都市は２７日に福岡、２８日に名古屋で咲いた。（2024/03/29-17:43）

Somei-Yoshino cherry trees monitored in Tokyo, Kyoto in western Japan and six other cities in the country started to bloom Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
   The sample tree in Tokyo, at Yasukuni Shrine in the capital's Chiyoda Ward, began to flower five days later than the average year. Blossoming came later than the average year for the first time in 10 years.
   Last year, the tree at the shrine started flowering March 14, the earliest on record along with 2020 and 2021. This year, flowering came 15 days later than last year.
   On Friday, flowering began in the cities of Kagoshima, Saga, Shimonoseki, Takamatsu, Tottori and Kofu, in addition to Tokyo and Kyoto.
   The western city of Kochi saw the earliest cherry tree blooming in Japan this spring, on Saturday last week. In the country, blossoming this year was initially expected to come early due to warm winter, but many places saw flowering start later than last year or the average year as cold weather returned this month.