TOKYO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- A rapidly intensifying low-pressure system has brought record-breaking snowfall to Japan's Hokkaido, with Obihiro City witnessing over 1 meter of snow.
By 8:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Obihiro recorded a snow depth of 1.2 meters. Other areas, including Memuro and Honbetsu, also saw record-breaking snowfall.
A total of 379 public elementary and junior high schools across 44 municipalities in Hokkaido have been temporarily closed, national broadcaster NHK reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warns that as the strongest cold wave of the season moves in, heavy snowfall is expected to spread across the Sea of Japan side of Honshu, impacting transportation and increasing the risk of blizzards and high waves. ■
