Heavy snowfall and storms that have been effective since last night in Hokkaido and Northeast Tohoku regions of Japan, negatively hit the daily life in the country. Railroad operator Japan Railways (JR) announced that they suspended 683 services, including a limited number of express trains, as a precaution. Also, airline companies announced the cancellation of 134 flights in Hokkaido. In addition to that, education was temporarily suspended in all primary and secondary schools in the cities of Abashiri, Monbetsu and Kitami in Hokkaido, as well as Tokoro Town, where the air temperature dropped to 10 degrees Celsius below zero.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that heavy snowfall and storms are expected to continue until Wednesday morning. Experts warned that the snow depth could reach 80 centimeters in Niigata Prefecture and 50 centimeters in Hokkaido and Nagano Prefectures, and urged residents living in risky areas to avoid non-essential travels. Meanwhile, local authorities warned people to follow up-to-date information in case of disruptions in transportation lines.