Tokyo succumbs to ‘rain fatigue’ after a record 35 consecutive days of showers

The record rainfall has triggered a sharp rise in the price of vegetables, cast a shadow over tourism and left millions of Tokyoites wondering if they will see sunshine again Photograph: Rie Kikuchi/AFP/Getty Images

Residents of Tokyo awoke to a familiar sound on Wednesday: raindrops splashing against windows and balcony floors.

The Japanese capital has seen a record 35 consecutive days of rain that experts blame on a combination of climate change and El Niño, which has created a prolonged front of high pressure in the Pacific Ocean.