Heavy snowfall at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido
© ReutersHeavy snowfall at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido
A massive winter storm has pounded Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Tuesday with authorities warning of high waves, blizzard conditions and traffic disruption.

Hokkaido Railway Company on Tuesday decided to cancel more than 100 train services on the island following the cancellation of 102 a day earlier.

Some traffic accidents took place on Monday as a low pressure system brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to the island, according to daily newspaper Hokkaido Shimbun.

The storm dumped 35 centimetres of snow on the town of Horokanai and 28 centimetres on the city of Bibai on Monday, the paper said.

On Tuesday, the storm could bring gusts of wind of up to 126km/h and generate waves of up to five metres around Hokkaido and north-eastern Japan, the Meteorological Agency warned.

Source: Deutsche Presse Agentur