With heavy snow forecast to fall across a wide area of the Kanto region from Friday morning, officials on Thursday urged those in affected areas to refrain from nonessential outings and warned of transport disruptions and the risk of blackouts.
On Thursday, officials from the Meteorological Agency said snow is expected to fall in the Kanto-Koshin region starting Friday morning, with heavy snow expected mainly in mountainous areas. But some accumulation is also expected in low-lying areas — including central Tokyo.
By the afternoon, the snow is expected to turn to rain in many areas, especially areas near the Pacific coast. But small changes in temperature can mean the difference between rain and snow, and a later transition to rain could lead to a warning-level snow event, including in low-lying areas.