Heavy snow warning issued for Tokyo

Tokyo, Feb 10 A heavy snow warning was issued for Tokyo on Friday by the weather agency here, with the inclement weather disrupting transportation services.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued the alert for Tokyo's 23 wards, warning that later in the day the snow could turn to sleet and then rain, making evening rush hour driving conditions potentially hazardous if the roads become icy.

As a result of the snow, Japanese Airlines cancelled a total of 57 flights to and from Haneda Airport in Tokyo scheduled for Friday, while All Nippon Airways also cancelled a number of its domestic flights, reports Xinhua news agency.

East Japan Railway, meanwhile, said it will suspend all operations of the Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train line as of Friday evening.

Other railway services in eastern Japan may also see services delayed or suspended, reports said.

The JMA said a cold air front and low atmospheric pressure combined caused the snowfall from Friday morning in the Kanto-Koshin region in eastern and central Japan, with Tokyo's 23 wards also affected.

The warning could be expanded to a wider part of the eastern side of the country if the unstable pressure system continues for longer than expected or temperatures on the ground fall further causing the snow to gather.

Through 6 a.m. on Saturday, central Tokyo could see 5 cm of snow, whereas the surrounding, more mountainous areas, may receive as much as 40 cm, weather officials said.