Record-breaking snow falls on Japan by Philip Avery
Record-breaking levels of snow have fallen on around 30 Japanese cities this weekend, including Nagoya where the heaviest snowfall for nearly 60 years was recorded.
The cold air has been streaming off Siberia, picking up moisture from the Sea of Japan and dumping it as snow across the country, paralysing roads, railways and airports. 23 centimetres (9 inches) had fallen on Nagoya by Monday; the most snow the central Japanese city has recorded since 1947. It is also the first time since 1945 that so much snow has fallen in the city during the month of December.
Meanwhile, the western city of Fukui reported that 62 cm (2 ft) of snow had covered much of its downtown area. Villages in more mountainous regions were cut off as over 2 metres (7 ft) of snow fell during the weekend. Tokyo was one of the few cities spared heavy snowfall, but still felt the impact, as may transport links in and out of the Japanese capital were disrupted.
Despite forecasts of a mild winter, the Japanese media are now describing December as the coldest in recorded history. Forecasters are warning of avalanches and icy roads, as further snow is expected in central Honshu.
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