TOKYO, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Regions in northern Japan are bracing for more snow as powerful blizzards are forecast to hit over the next 24-hours, the weather agency said Tuesday.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), a low system pressure developing over the Sea of Okhotsk merging with a high pressure system will create a pressure pattern around Japan that will likely see northern regions struck by powerful blizzards.
The weather agency said the blizzards' impact will be heightened by strong gusts of winds that have been intensifying, particularly in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
The JMA said that in Mashike town in Hokkaido at 6.00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, gusts of 108 km per hour were logged.
Coastal regions along the Sea of Japan in Hokkaido and Tohoku prefectures are forecast to be hit by strong snowstorms and blizzards, with gusts expected to increase further to 126 km per hour in some areas, the JMA said.
Along with blizzards, the weather agency has also warned of wave surges as high as six meters in northern coastal regions through Thursday.
In the 24-hour period through Wednesday evening, Hokkaido is expected to receive 50 cm of snow, and Tohoku 40 cm, the JMA said.
The weather agency has warned residents in affected areas to take necessary safety measures to protect against the blizzards and for those in coastal regions along the Sea of Japan to be cautious of rough seas.
The JMA has also warned that the snowstorms could disrupt transportation networks in some northern regions.
