A Deadly Extreme Cold Hits Japan and Korean Peninsula
- Kyodo News via AP
VIVA – Weather authorities in Japan and the Korean peninsula have issued a deadly extreme cold temperatures that have killed at least one person, and stranded thousands.
Extreme cold weather has already caused fatalities, havoc, and record low temperatures across the region in the last fortnight, with at least 124 people dead in Afghanistan and record lows of -53C in northeastern China.
Large parts of Japan are now in the grip of the extreme cold spell, with some areas expected to experience their lowest temperatures for a decade. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno said one person had died as a result of the storm, and two other deaths were under investigation.
In the Korean peninsula, temperatures of -25C were recorded near the border between North and South Korea on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
(Ilustrasi) Badai salju di Jepang
- Kyodo News via AP
“Heavy snowfall was predicted in central Japan and the country’s north-east for most of Wednesday, while winds could reach up to 126 kph areas across the country, the country’s meteorological agency said.
Moreover, in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, a record 93cm of snow was recorded in the city of Maniwa.
In Western Japan, some rail passengers were left stranded for several hours on Tuesday, according to West Japan Railway, while domestic airlines said they would cancel more than 200 flights. Bullet train services in the country’s north-east will also be suspended, the Kyodo news agency said.
The Japan meteorological agency has said that some parts of the country could see their lowest temperatures for ten years and warned that the cold snap would continue until Thursday, with blizzards and violent winds expected along the Japan Sea coast.
