Overview
- Forecasters say a rapidly deepening low and strong upper-level cold air will produce heavy snow and very strong winds mainly on the Sea of Japan side through Dec. 26, with agencies urging caution for severe storms and transport disruption.
- In Hokkaido, the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory warns of blizzards and heavy snowfall from the night of Dec. 26, advising vigilance for whiteouts, snowdrifts, and traffic impacts.
- JR East reports that its Uetsu Line gust-detection program now combines JMA monitoring, Doppler radar tracking of upper-air vortices, and an AI system introduced in 2020, achieving about an 80% hit rate for dangerous gusts.
- Obihiro police are investigating a house fire in Otofuke, Hokkaido, where one body was found; authorities are treating the victim as the missing male resident in his 70s and are probing the cause and identity.
- The Expo Association says operating finances are now projected to yield up to a ¥37 billion surplus, roughly ¥9 billion above its previous outlook, based on updated post-event estimates.