Heavy snow expected in Tokyo region on Feb. 10

TOKYO -- The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is calling on people to be wary as heavy snow is expected in the Kanto-Koshin region including the capital on Feb. 10.

A developing low-pressure system set to pass over the southern coast of Japan's Honshu main island is forecast to cause heavy snow primarily in the Kanto-Koshin region's mountains and surrounding areas from the morning of Feb. 10. Snow may accumulate even in flat areas such as central Tokyo. The JMA is urging people to be careful of traffic disruptions due to heavy snow and icy road surfaces.

The JMA could issue a heavy snow warning for the region -- consisting of Tokyo plus Nagano, Gunma, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba, Kanagawa and Yamanashi prefectures -- if temperatures are lower than predicted or if the snowfall is prolonged. In Tokyo, heavy snow is expected to fall mainly in the Tama region in the west, with some areas in the core 23 wards also expected to see snow accumulation.

Low-pressure systems bringing snow to Tokyo are called "south coast low-pressure systems" because they pass over the south coast of Honshu. The Pacific Ocean side of the country including the Japanese capital usually sees little snowfall, so when it does snow, it can cause major transport disruptions such as train suspensions. The JMA is urging people to pay attention to the latest weather information.

(Japanese original by Ikuko Ando, Tokyo City News Department)