At least 8 dead as snow smothers swathes of Japan

At least eight deaths were reported in Japan on Friday in the wake of heavy snowfall, according to broadcaster NHK.

At least 45 injuries were also reported as the snow caused traffic snarls across the country after several days of precipitation. The worst-affected regions were on the coast of the Sea of Japan and on Hokkaido, in northern Japan.

Regions that normally get little snow also reported heavy accumulation, such as the Pacific edge of Shikoku, the smaller of Japan’s main islands, and the prefectures of Kagoshima and Kumamoto, where multiple vehicles were reportedly stranded in kilometres of backups.

Air travel was also heavily restricted, with authorities warning of more extreme weather to come.

Heavy snow blanketed many parts of the country, with some Western cities renewing records of snowfall due to the country being subjected to winter pressure patterns, with the weather agency warning of traffic disruptions, snowstorms and high waves.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it expected the rough weather to continue through Monday, moving from the country’s north and east to the west.