169 injured after heavy snow hit Japan

A woman carrying an umbrella walks on a street covered with snow in Tokyo, Japan, Jan 18, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

TOKYO - At least 169 people were injured in Kanto area, which includes Tokyo, after heavy snow hit eastern and northern Japan early on Monday.

Japanese broadcaster NHK also reported that some 8,400 households suffered power blackout due to the snow.

The snow, which was caused by a rapidly developing low pressure system that affected the regions since early Monday, also disrupted traffic and trapped early commuters in the regions with some parts of expressway being closed, flights cancelled and Shinkansen bullet train services suspended.

About 32 cm snow was measured at Chichibu city in Saitama prefecture and 31 cm snow was observed in Matsumoto city in Nagano prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The weather agency forecasted that up to 80 cm of snow would fall in the Tohoku region and 60 cm in Hokkaido, Hokuriku and Tokai areas over the 24 hours through 6 am Tuesday.

Local airliners said some 200 domestic flights were cancelled or delayed as of 3:30 pm local time. The affected were mostly from and to Tokyo's Haneda airport. A small airport in Tokyo's Chofu city was closed.

The weather agency here also issued icy road, gust and high wave warnings to the eastern and northern Japan.