Heavy snow hits Tokyo and surrounding area

A heavy snow hitting Tokyo and the neighboring regions since Friday morning has disrupted traffic and resulted in injuries.

The snow was 2 cm deep in the downtown Otemachi district in Tokyo, the heaviest snowfall logged at this season in central Tokyo since 1995, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The snow waned and stopped in central Tokyo after noon.

The snow has affected transportation, with Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services operating under speed restrictions in some sections, while 56 flights to and from Haneda airport had been canceled as of 1 p.m.(0400 GMT) Ordinary train services carrying commuters were shot down temporarily in some lines at morning rush hours.

Parts of expressways around the Tokyo area were also closed fora while because of the snow. And drivers were required to use snowchains on the highway.

A total of 18 people were injured as of noon in Tokyo, most of them after losing their footing, according to the Tokyo Fire Department.

Several colleges in Tokyo, meanwhile, delayed the start of entrance examinations by up to one hour due to the snowfall. More than 60 public senior high schools in Tokyo started classes later than usual.

Source: Xinhua