- Title: Tokyo hit by first November snow in 54 years
- Date: 24th November 2016
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE HOLDING UMBRELLAS AND WALKING ALONG STREET AS SNOW FALLS PEOPLE WITH UMBRELLAS CROSSING ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) MOTHER SENDING HER SON TO SCHOOL, CHIEKO ODO, SAYING: "The weather forecast did say it would snow, but I was skeptical since it is still November. So I was very surprised." PEOPLE WALKING ALONG STREET AS SNOW FALLS CYCLIST CROSSING ROAD, COVERING HEAD (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) MAN ON HIS WAY HOME AFTER FINISHING HIS NIGHT SHIFT, MASARU MACHIDA, SAYING: "I was very shocked. It's a bit too early. Too early." CAR COVERED IN SNOW HOOD OF CAR COVERED IN SNOW PEOPLE HOLDING UMBRELLAS AND CROSSING ROAD INTERIOR OF STATION SCREEN IN STATION NOTIFYING TRAVELLERS OF TRAIN DELAY SCREEN READING (Japanese): "TRAINS DELAYED" PEOPLE QUEUING FOR TRAIN ON PLATFORM PEOPLE WAITING AS TRAIN ARRIVES
- Embargoed: 9th December 2016 04:06
- Keywords: Japan snow weather winter November cold rush hour Tokyo
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Environment,Weather
- Reuters ID: LVA00259SZ139
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Japanese capital of Tokyo on Thursday (November 24) was hit by its first November snow in 54 years, slowing rush hour trains as residents slogged to work wearing heavy coats and boots in a city far more accustomed to earthquakes than to snow.
The last time snow fell in November in Tokyo, John F. Kennedy was President of the United States and singer Bob Dylan - who this year won the Nobel Literature Prize - had released his debut album just months before.
The snow, which began as sleet around dawn but turned to snow soon after, was sparked by an unusual cold front spreading over the Tokyo area that sent temperatures down to near zero C (32 F).
Average temperatures at this time of year are highs of 14 C (57 F) and rose as far as 20 C (68 F) as recently as Sunday.
"The weather forecast did say it would snow, but I was skeptical since it is still November," said Chieko Odo, who held an umbrella as she walked her son to school.
"I was shocked," said Masaru Machida, who had just finished night shift work and was walking home. "It's too early."
Though Tokyo, which is on roughly the same latitude as the U.S. city of Raleigh, North Carolina, does see snow at least once a year, it usually falls in January or February and rarely accumulates for long.
As much as 2 cm of snow was predicted for central Tokyo by the time the snow stops, likely by early afternoon, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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