Nov 12 (NHK) - The northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido is being hit by strong, cold winds caused by a low pressure system. The storm has injured several people and damaged many buildings.
The meteorological agency is calling on people to be on alert for powerful winds and high waves throughout Sunday.
The agency says a gust of up to 150 kilometers an hour was logged at Cape Erimo on Saturday. Gusts of more than 100 kilometers an hour were recorded in other areas along the Sea of Japan coast.
In Sapporo, central Hokkaido, a tour bus skidded off the road, leaving 7 passengers injured. The driver told police the vehicle went into a skid on a curve due to a layer of slush covering the road.
Police say 6 people in Sapporo and 3 other cities were injured by flying debris or after they were knocked over by winds.
Fire department officials report that more than 320 buildings across the prefecture were damaged by winds. In the city of Rumoi, a wall measuring 8-meters long and 2-meters wide attached to a building was blown over.
In the town of Obira, high waves flooded a parking near the coast. The weather agency is warning of snowfall in mountainous regions as well as inland areas of Hokkaido due to the cold air mass. It is calling on drivers to pay attention on frozen roads.
Source: ANNnewsCH
