The year's first warm gales, indicating the arrival of spring, were felt in parts of Japan on Saturday, according to the Meteorological Agency.
"Haru-ichiban," the first strong southern winds of the year, were felt in most parts of Honshu, except for the Tohoku region in the northeast and the central Tokai region, as well as in Kyushu and Shikoku.
In the Kanto region, the first gale occurred 18 days earlier than last year.
Temperatures rose in Kyushu due to southerly winds that strengthened after low pressure developed and moved east-northeast across the Sea of Japan, it said.