A snowstorm pummeled northern Japan and the Hokuriku region Sunday due to a rapidly developing low pressure zone, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, warning the rough weather is expected to continue through Monday.
The low pressure zone east of Hokkaido brought winds of up to 108 kph in Urakawa, Hokkaido, and 100 kph in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture.
Sendai, Niigata and Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, saw the season's first snow, 10 to 15 days later than average and around one month later than last year, when the nation experienced an unusually cold winter.
By Monday morning, up to 40 cm of snow is expected in Hokkaido, 20 cm in the Tohoku region and 20 cm in the Hokuriku region, the agency said.
Snow is also expected in the mountain areas in the northern Kanto-Koshin region as well as the Kinki and other western Japan regions.