Dry-day rate calendar for October
Period: observations for 1996–2025 (30 years)
This is the month when traces of autumn rain linger in the first half and days under migratory highs increase in the second half. In the 1996–2025 records, at many stations the dry-day rate is higher toward the second half of the month.
The "dry-day rate" is the share of years in which a given day had no precipitation (rain or snow) of 1 mm or more (daily rainfall under 1 mm, smoothed over the 4 days before and after).
These are statistics compiled from observations for 1996–2025 (30 years), not a weather forecast for any particular day. For the latest forecasts, see the JMA website.
October at a glance
The station with the highest monthly average dry-day rate in Japan, the national median, and the station with the lowest. The most comfortable stations this month: Hofu / Omuta / Taimei (details in the comfort section below).
Dry-day rates across Japan (October average)
Each dot is 1 station. The highest and lowest stations are labeled on the map, and the top and bottom lists are below.
Daily calendar for major stations
The deeper the amber, the more years that day stayed dry (the colors match the legend above). The table below (averages for the early, middle, and late parts of the month) has the same values.
| Station | Early | Mid | Late | Monthly avg. | 2 days in a row | 3 days in a row | Windy days | Sunshine (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo | 60.8% | 66.2% | 62.0% | 63.0% | 43.5% | 30.3% | 11.0% | 4.8 hours |
| Sendai | 68.2% | 75.9% | 75.9% | 73.4% | 58.8% | 46.3% | 5.1% | 4.8 hours |
| Niigata | 53.2% | 58.4% | 55.1% | 55.6% | 34.6% | 20.4% | 7.7% | 4.5 hours |
| Kanazawa | 59.5% | 62.5% | 56.6% | 59.4% | 41.0% | 27.2% | 13.4% | 5.0 hours |
| Tokyo | 64.0% | 65.3% | 68.4% | 66.0% | 48.9% | 35.5% | 3.6% | 4.3 hours |
| Nagoya | 67.4% | 73.3% | 72.7% | 71.2% | 55.1% | 42.7% | 4.3% | 5.5 hours |
| Osaka | 67.8% | 73.6% | 73.0% | 71.5% | 55.5% | 42.6% | 1.4% | 5.5 hours |
| Hiroshima | 76.9% | 80.9% | 79.5% | 79.1% | 66.1% | 54.5% | 10.7% | 5.8 hours |
| Takamatsu | 69.0% | 75.7% | 74.5% | 73.1% | 57.5% | 44.4% | 0.6% | 5.4 hours |
| Fukuoka | 76.2% | 78.7% | 75.5% | 76.7% | 63.8% | 52.6% | 4.2% | 5.7 hours |
| Kagoshima | 73.7% | 79.9% | 75.0% | 76.2% | 62.5% | 50.8% | 7.4% | 6.0 hours |
| Naha | 69.0% | 67.4% | 73.2% | 69.9% | 55.2% | 43.9% | 50.6% | 5.3 hours |
"2 days in a row" and "3 days in a row" are the monthly averages of the share of years in which it stayed dry for 2 / 3 days starting that day (counted from the actual consecutive records, not by multiplying each day's share). They are a guide for multi-night trips and outdoor plans. "Windy days" is the share of days with a daily mean wind speed of 5 m/s or more. The sunshine averages include estimates from March 2021 onward at some stations.
Stations with the highest and lowest dry-day rates (October average)
Highest
Kukokitamachi / Kawasoe / Waniura / Mitsushima / Nagasaki / Ube / Hofu / Izuhara / Saga / Musashi
Lowest
Otoineppu / Yaemigahara / Nakagawa / Hachijojima Island / Hijiori / Bifuka / Etanbetsu / Nakatonbetsu / Murakami / Nayoro
Comfort in October (5 levels)
Based on observations of dry-day rate, sunshine, wind, and temperature for 1996–2025 (30 years), each station is rated on 5 levels of comfort for October. The tables also show the values behind each rating and the factor that lowered it most (the main factor). Some stations with short sunshine records are not rated.
Each dot is 1 station. The colors match the levels in the legend. The top and bottom lists are below.
Most comfortable stations (top)
| Station | Level | Main factor | Dry-day rate | Sunshine (avg.) | Windy days | High (avg.) | Low (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hofu | Comfortable | None | 80.0% | 6.0 hours | 1.1% | 23.7°C | 14.0°C |
| Omuta | Comfortable | None | 79.5% | 6.3 hours | 0.7% | 24.1°C | 14.3°C |
| Taimei | Comfortable | None | 78.9% | 6.2 hours | 0.6% | 25.1°C | 14.6°C |
| Kuchinotsu | Comfortable | None | 78.0% | 6.3 hours | 0.5% | 24.6°C | 16.1°C |
| Kumamoto | Comfortable | None | 78.7% | 6.1 hours | 1.7% | 25.3°C | 15.4°C |
| Kurume | Comfortable | None | 78.3% | 6.0 hours | 1.5% | 24.4°C | 15.5°C |
| Matsushima | Comfortable | None | 77.2% | 6.0 hours | 0.8% | 24.2°C | 15.7°C |
| Misumi | Comfortable | None | 77.9% | 6.1 hours | 2.2% | 23.9°C | 16.7°C |
| Ushibuka | Comfortable | None | 77.7% | 6.2 hours | 2.0% | 25.4°C | 18.2°C |
| Kudamatsu | Comfortable | None | 78.7% | 5.9 hours | 0.1% | 23.4°C | 14.1°C |
Harshest stations (bottom)
| Station | Level | Main factor | Dry-day rate | Sunshine (avg.) | Windy days | High (avg.) | Low (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yonagunijima Island | Tough | Heat | 63.6% | 4.3 hours | 74.4% | 28.1°C | 23.8°C |
| Ishigakijima Island | Tough | Heat | 63.7% | 5.2 hours | 48.8% | 29.1°C | 24.2°C |
| Sukayu | Tough | Cold | 49.2% | 3.4 hours | 2.5% | 11.5°C | 4.3°C |
| Iriomotejima Island | Tough | Heat | 61.6% | 4.5 hours | 35.0% | 28.4°C | 23.5°C |
| Miyakojima Island | Tough | Heat | 65.7% | 5.0 hours | 51.0% | 28.1°C | 24.1°C |
| Washikura | Tough | Cold | 55.7% | 3.1 hours | 10.1% | 12.1°C | 6.0°C |
| Ibaruma | Tough | Heat | 64.2% | 4.7 hours | 29.1% | 28.2°C | 24.0°C |
| Hateruma | Tough | Heat | 66.2% | 5.6 hours | 51.8% | 28.6°C | 24.1°C |
| Naha | Fair | Heat | 69.9% | 5.3 hours | 50.6% | 28.4°C | 23.8°C |
| Cape Soya | Fair | Cold | 56.4% | 4.4 hours | 80.8% | 13.6°C | 7.6°C |
Stations are ordered by their rating from the observations. "Windy days" is the share of days with a daily mean wind speed of 5 m/s or more, and "Sunshine (avg.)" is the monthly average of daily sunshine hours (including estimates from March 2021 onward at some stations).
Typhoon approaches in October (5 broad areas)
| Area | Total approach days (1951–2025) |
|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 14 days |
| Honshu | 85 days |
| Shikoku | 42 days |
| Kyushu | 57 days |
| Okinawa and Amami | 150 days |
The total number of days in October on which the center of a typhoon came within 300 km of a staffed weather station in each area, from 75 years of confirmed records. The bars compare the areas within this table, with the busiest area drawn longest. The Izu and Ogasawara Islands are not included in Honshu (listed separately).
Typhoon approach calendar / Look up past typhoons by date range
What makes October distinctive
In October, the lineup of places least prone to rain shifted toward western Japan. In measurements over the 30 years 1996–2025, the top was Nagasaki (80.3%) / Izuhara (80%) / Saga (79.9%) / Hiroshima (79.1%), a belt from Northern Kyushu to the western Seto Inland Sea. On the low side, by contrast, were Hachijojima Island (46.9%) and Hokkaido's Etanbetsu (47.3%) / Nayoro (49%) / Wassamu (50.6%). The nationwide average was 67.2%, and the share of 3 straight days without precipitation was 37.9%; among major stations, Sendai at 73.4% and 46.3% and Hiroshima at 79.1% and 54.5% made it easy to secure a run of days. Niigata (55.6%) / Kanazawa (59.4%) stayed on the low side, as is typical of the Sea of Japan side.
In temperature, the lowlands and highlands entered different seasons. Average highs were topped by Kita-Daito at 29.2°C / Ishigakijima Island at 29.1°C, with Oku-Nikko at 13.9°C / Nayoro at 14.1°C at the bottom, putting the Honshu highlands in the same band as northern Hokkaido. Average lows dropped to the low single digits, at Etanbetsu 2.8°C / Nayoro 3.3°C, so in inland Hokkaido a jacket in the morning is a given. Days with a daily mean wind speed of 5 m/s or more were at Cape Muroto (75.9%) / Yonagunijima Island (74.4%), and windy days continued on capes and southern islands.
The record values in this commentary are as compiled in September 2026, and the normals are based on 1996–2025 (30 years).
Other months and calendars
September calendar November calendar
Typhoon approach calendar (October is a month with a record of typhoon approaches)
When to travel calendar (holidays, long weekends, and comfort levels for 12 months at once)
Each station's page also has a 12-month calendar for that station.