44 locations across Japan report record low temperatures on Christmas Day
TOKYO —
A cold wave continues to grip Japan this week, with 44 locations reporting record low temperatures on Christmas Day.
The Meteorological Agency said Wednesday issued another warning for heavy snow in Hokkaido, the Tohoku region and areas facing the Sea of Japan, as well as strong winds in the north of Japan.
The lowest temperature was minus 28.4 degrees in Furano, Hokkaido, the agency said. Tokyo recorded a low of 6 degrees, while the mercury fell to minus 8 in Tottori and Saitama prefectures.
Meanwhile, reports from Monbetsu, Hokkaido, say a meteorological phenomenon known as ice fog was seen hovering over the area on Tuesday. The agency reported on its website that ice fog is caused when water vapor from the ocean climbs to meet cold air over the land resulting in thick, low-hanging clouds of cold fog.
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12 Comments
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-1
some14some
good, will leave no excuse for lower Winter Sales !
-2
Lowly
A cold wave? I have heard of a heat wave, but...
(Cold front, maybe)
The ice fog sounds awful. Like rain during cold weather, much MUch colder and more miserable than snow, tho sno is in fact colder.
Bundle up!
-1
Probie
Badly translated from 寒波.
Ice fog is great.
-5
basroil
Worse yet, current HEPCO power use is above last year's peak, and well inside the danger zone.
1
SS Abe
Winter storms impede emergency response -- if the Oi nuclear plant malfunctions during a big winter storm then there may be no way to contain a nuclear meltdown. Hopefully, when the next nuclear meltdown occurs it won't be because the roads are blocked due to snow and ice.
0
Foxie
Wow, minus 28.4 in Furano. Thanks got we only had minus 26 in my town. And there is more to come in a few days. The cold wave is currently in Mongolia where they have minus 40 and that cold front is moving towards us.
5
zichi
The Oi atomic power plant has only one access road and via a tunnel too. A loss of the road could be a problem in a disaster.
1
SS Abe
Actually, Oi's location is potentially more dangerous in a winter storm as its location right off the Sea of Japan would mean heavier snow than Tohoku would likely receive. Thus, snow removal would be more difficult on the one access road to the plant should it suffer a nuclear meltdown.
-2
basroil
SS AbeDec. 26, 2012 - 05:35PM JST
That's why they have their own protected port with cranes and all, no roads, bridges, or tunnels to even consider. Not to mention that they're within airdrop distance of two airforce bases and could get anything they need delivered straight to their doorstep.
Moderator
All readers back on topic please.
3
warnerbro
Record lows and only two of 54 reactors running, and yet no calls for increased conservation, none of the common sense measures that proved unnecessary in the summer of 2011. Rumours of the potential for electrical shortages but no actual sign of them. If Japan requires two reactors sitting on fault lines, it obviously requires no more than two.
-4
basroil
warnerbroDec. 26, 2012 - 11:20PM JST
Completely false. HEPCO area is under 7% cut target, if it wasn't, today would have hit 5.9GW (instead hit 5.5GW) and been well inside the danger zone for blackouts ( first level of danger is at 700MW surplus, which is the same as one coal turbine failing, then 300MW where any one of half a dozen turbines failing would cause a blackout, and then 150MW where anything short of perfect operation can cause a blackout).
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