Typhoons 'trick' Japan's cherry trees into blooming months early

Extreme weather thought to have stripped trees of their leaves, which usually secrete hormones to prevent flowering

The arrival of Japan's famed cherry blossoms is the cue for groups of office workers to eat and drink, cast off their inhibitions and ponder the transient nature of life against a backdrop of pale pink petals falling to the ground.

But the nationally observed rite of spring has come early, with reports from hundreds of locations that the country's beloved sakura are blooming several months ahead of schedule.