As millions of families headed back home to celebrate the New Year with their loved ones, dozens of flights were canceled Tuesday due to heavy snow in northern Japan.
By early afternoon, Japan Airlines announced that it had canceled 42 flights, impacting 6,398 passengers, all of which were to and from the island of Hokkaido in the north.
Due to the severe weather in the north, its primary competitor, ANA, also canceled 14 flights, impacting 800 people, and issued a warning to its customers about potential delays and additional cancellations.
In order to acquire alternate flights, travelers lined up at Hokkaido’s major airport.
In the departure lounge, some people got ready to see in 2025.
“It was great to see snow, but I didn’t think I would be trapped here,” one man trying to go home to Okinawa in the south told broadcaster HTB.
“I don’t know what to do. I might have to stay at the airport tonight.”
Hokkaido and communities along northern coastlines facing the Sea of Japan were experiencing strong winds and heavy snow Tuesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.More than 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) of snow has fallen in some areas of Hokkaido since Monday, most if it on Tuesday morning, the weather agency said, adding that snowfall was expected to continue on New Year’s Day.
This year’s summer in Japan was the second-hottest on record, matching the 2023 record, as severe heatwaves fueled by climate change swept across much of the world.
The national weather bureau said the autumn was the warmest since records began 126 years ago.
In addition, this year’s longest absence of Mount Fuji’s well-known snowcap was observed in early November as opposed to early October on typical.
