Each spring the anticipation builds for the cherry blossoms to reach their peak. In Japan there are websites to predict the peak day by region and travel tours are designed around this event.
Climate change, which has warmed the planet’s temperature, has impacted the cherry blossom season. It is now earlier than ever before. In Japan records date back over 1000 years.
Climate scientist Ed Hawkins has visualized Japan's peak cherry blossom dates and shared it on Instagram and LinkedIn.
If you are interested in seeing the trends over 1000 years, the full data set can be found here.
Sometimes it is hard to understand what 1.5 degrees warmer looks like. This is just one example to help illustrate the impact.