TOKYO, Jan 20 (NHK) - Japanese weather officials say heavy snow is expected mainly in mountainous areas of the Kanto-Koshin region in central and eastern Japan through Sunday.
The Meteorological Agency says a low-pressure system accompanied by a front is moving along the southern coast of Japan's main island of Honshu. The low-pressure system is expected to reach waters east of the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, by Sunday night.
In the 24 hours through Sunday evening, up to 50 centimeters of snowfall is expected in mountains of northern Kanto, 30 centimeters in the Koshin region, 25 centimeters in flat areas of northern Kanto, 20 centimeters in the area extending from Hakone through Tama and Chichibu, and 2 centimeters in the flatlands of southern Kanto.
The agency says if temperatures are lower than expected, alert-level snowfall may hit mainly mountainous areas. It is advising people to stay alert for traffic disruptions and icy roads, and is calling for caution against avalanches among other situations.
The agency also says atmospheric conditions are expected to become very unstable in coastal areas of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures, and the Izu Islands, bringing torrential rain and thunder to some places.
For the 24-hour period through Sunday evening, up to 150 millimeters of rain is forecast for northern Kanto and up to 120 millimeters to southern Kanto and the Izu Islands.
Source: NHK
