Japan braces for more heavy snow after 800 cars stranded during a 6-kilometre-long traffic jam

The disruption, which began around 9am on Wednesday, had ended by around 4am on Thursday, with the express operator and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force clearing snow in the area.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said as much as 60 centimetres (24 inches) of snow could fall in the Tohoku region through Friday, according to Japan’s Kyodo news agency. In the country’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and the Kanto-Koshin and Hokuriku regions in eastern and central Japan, 50cm of snow is expected. The western Kinki and Chugoku regions are projected to see around 40cm.

The traffic jam occurred on the Meishin Expressway in Gifu prefecture. Two children in a stranded vehicle became sick and were taken to a hospital, Kyodo reported.

The Central Nippon Expressway Co. closed the road and mobilised snowplows and tow trucks to clear the stranded vehicles, while delivering snacks, drinking water and portable toilets for those trapped. The Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan’s army, dispatched troops to join relief efforts at the request of the governor of Gifu.

Cold air from the west formed a cold front that caused heavy snow to fall in Japan’s north-central region. The severe weather also led to accidents in a number of locations.