Heavy snow continued to hit areas on the Sea of Japan coast from the country’s north to west on Monday, leading to the disruption of transportation systems, local media reported on Monday.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Hikone in Shiga Prefecture saw 68 centimeters of snow accumulate while Asago in Hyogo Prefecture got 71 cm in a 24-hour period through early Monday, both the most ever since such statistics started being compiled, reports Kyodo news agency.
The agency warned that heavy snowfall, as well as icy roads and high waves, could continue through Tuesday, and also cautioned against possible lightning and strong wind gusts due to extremely unstable atmospheric conditions in some places.
Due to the heavy snow, a car accident caused a traffic jam of about 20 vehicles at around 6.30 a.m. on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway in Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan.
As of Monday afternoon, a total of 10 people had been injured due to the blizzard from over the weekend, including two who sustained serious injuries in relation to snow clearing work.
The road operator, West Nippon Expressway Co., closed both outbound and inbound lanes of the expressway until the snow was removed. The expressway was fully reopened past noon.
In addition, a large truck got stuck just before dawn on a section of the National Route 8 in Hikone city. The incident at one point caused a backup of traffic stretching for about 2 km.
The heavy snow caused the Tokaido Shinkansen Line that runs between Tokyo and Osaka to operate at slower speeds.
The weather agency warned that heavy snowfall could continue through Tuesday, and strong winds, as well as icy roads, should draw cautions.
People in the Hokuriku and Tohoku regions are advised to remain alert as the snow clouds are expected to gradually move east.
In the 24 hours through Tuesday morning, up to 90 cm of snow is expected in Niigata Prefecture and 80 cm in the Kansai region and Gifu Prefecture.
(With inputs from agencies)
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