Tokyo is seeing its first November snowfall in 54 years.
November temperatures in Tokyo, eastern Japan, normally range from 10 to 17 Celcius. On Thursday morning, local time, temperatures in Tokyo reached near zero.
The cold air mass brought sleet and eventually snow to the Japanse capital, marking the first November snowfall in Tokyo since 1962.
“I was shocked,” said resident Masaru Machida, who was walking home after just finishing a night shift. “It’s too early.”
Up to two centimeters of snow was measured in Tokyo, with up to 15 centimeters recorded in mountainous areas of eastern Japan. Hokkaido saw up to 34 centimeters of snow, whilst Yubari City had 28 centimeters.
Tokyo sees snowfall at least once a year, but it usually happens in January and February, meaning that the November snowfall is roughly 40 days premature. Yokohama and Utsunomiya also saw snow that fell 20 to 40 days earlier than usual.
Experts believe the low temperatures and snowfall were caused by Arctic air penetrating middle latitudes with exposure to atmospheric low with a front moving eastward off Japan’s Pacific coasts.
The unexpected weather resulted in some injuries and minor train delays.
