Snowstorm in Tokyo disrupts normal life

Tokyo, January 22 

A rare snowstorm hit Tokyo on Monday, snarling train services, forcing the cancellation of scores of flights and prompting hordes of workaholic Japanese to heed official advice to head home early.

Snow began falling on Monday morning, with as much as 10 cm predicted for central Tokyo by the time it is expected to stop early on Tuesday. By 7 pm, 16 cm  had fallen in central Tokyo as the snowfall intensified, national broadcaster NHK said.

Train services were curtailed and some highways were closed, as icy roads were causing traffic accidents. Around 250 flights from Tokyo’s Haneda airport were cancelled.

The Japanese capital, which is on roughly the same latitude as the U.S. city of Raleigh, North Carolina, often sees snow at least once a year, but this time it is expected to accumulate, rather than quickly melt as it usually does. — PTI