Tokyo: Snowfall and rainfall struck many parts of Japan on Friday as a low-pressure system causing a front moved east-northeast from around the Kyushu southwestern region.

Snow and rain fell mainly in the southern part of the Tohoku northeastern region as well as eastern and western Japan through the morning. The low-pressure system is seen passing through the southern coast of the Honshu main island of Japan through early Saturday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has called on people to be wary of heavy snowfall in the Kanto eastern region, the Koshin central region, Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan, and Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in Tohoku.

The agency warned of avalanches and snow buildup on power lines as well as traffic disruptions in the regions.

It also posted heavy snow warnings for most of Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, north of the capital, and the central prefecture of Nagano, and for all of Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo.

The transport ministry has advised people in regions with heavy snowfall to refrain from unnecessary travel and use winter tires and snow chains when driving. Some sections of expressways operated by Metropolitan Expressway Co. were closed due to snowfall.

 Japan Airlines suspended 32 flights to and from Tokyo International Airport at Haneda, affecting some 3,600 people. All Nippon Airways suspended 18 such flights, affecting about 2,500 people.

As of 11 a.m. Friday (2 a.m. GMT), snow accumulation of 7 centimeters was recorded in the city of Kofu in Yamanashi, and 1 centimeter in the city of Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture and the city of Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture, both eastern Japan, and the city of Saitama.

In the 24 hours through noon Saturday, snowfall of 40 centimeters is forecast in mountainous areas in northern Kanto, 30 centimeters in Koshin, 20 centimeters in flatland areas in northern Kanto, the Chichibu region in Saitama Prefecture, the Tama region in western Tokyo and the Hakone area in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, 12 centimeters in flatland areas in southern Kanto and 10 centimeters in Tokyo’s 23 special wards.

JIJI Press