The blooming season of cherry blossom trees across Japan has become earlier by an average 4.2 days over the past 50 years apparently due to global warming, a study by the Meteorological Agency has found.

The survey has also found that the blooming season for camellia trees got earlier by 9.4 days over the past half century, while gingko and maple trees start their leaf-shedding process much later than five decades ago.

The agency analyzed the data collected at its local meteorological observatories and weather stations across the nation between 1953 and 2004.

As a result, the agency found that the blooming season of the four types of cherry blossoms -- hikanzakura, someiyoshino, ezoyamazakura and chishimazakura -- became earlier by an average of 4.2 days at 82 locations across the nation.

In big cities such as Tokyo and Nagoya, the blooming season for cherry blossoms got even earlier, by 6.1 days on average, apparently due to the "heat island phenomenon," while the blooming season became earlier by an average of 2.8 days in 11 small- and medium-sized cities such as Yamagata and Mito.

The tendency was seen with other plants as well, with the blooming season for dandelions getting earlier by an average of six days; nodafuji (a type of wisteria) by 3.6 days; and crape myrtle by 5.8 days across the nation. The budding of gingko trees also became earlier by 3.2 days.

Meanwhile, global warming is apparently delaying the arrival of autumn in Japan.

The day gingko trees start changing the color of most of their leaves got an average 10.7 days later, while the figure for maple leaves was 15.6 days later.

Furthermore, the day gingko trees lose more than about 80 percent of their leaves became an average of 5.4 days later, while the figure for maple leaves got 9.1 days later.

"It is clear that global warming is having a steady effect here, based on analyses of the changes over the past years in the blooming season of flowers and the defoliation season of trees. We need to step up measures to prevent global warming," said a representative of the agency.

The agency said the temperature in Japan has been on the increase by 1.1 degrees Celsius per century.

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