Strong winds nationwide on Saturday, warning of storms, strong cold air, snowfall in the flatlands of western Japan, leading to cold winter weather (weather forecaster Tomomi Yoshida November 18, 2023) – tenki.jp

Heavy snowfall mainly in mountainous areas of western Japan; snowfall also occurs in flat areas

Today, the 18th (Saturday), extremely cold air is flowing into the sky at an altitude of approximately 5,500 meters, with temperatures below -30℃, which is extremely strong for this time of year. At 6 a.m., rain and snow clouds were covering the Sea of ​​Japan side of Kyushu, Hokuriku, and Tohoku. In Yawata, Kitahiroshima Town, 3 centimeters of snow was observed at 6 a.m. There is a risk of heavy snow in the mountains of Kyushu and the Chugoku region until around noon. Also, there will be some snowfall in the flatlands of Sanyo. Cars are equipped for winter, so be careful of snow and icy roads.

Additionally, due to the effects of cold air in the upper atmosphere, atmospheric conditions will be extremely unstable over a wide area from western Japan to northern Japan. There are places in Hokuriku and Tohoku that will experience heavy rain, and people should be on guard against landslides. You should also be careful of strong wind gusts such as lightning strikes and tornadoes.

There will be heavy rain, especially in the mountains, so please consider changing your plans for viewing autumn leaves.

Temperatures drop from Kyushu to Hokuriku, cold winter

Maximum temperatures will be lower than normal from Okinawa and Kyushu to Hokuriku.

From Kyushu to the Tokai region, the temperature is expected to be around 12°C, about 5°C lower than yesterday. The temperature in Hokuriku is also significantly lower than yesterday, with some places not reaching 10℃. In many places, it’s as cold as mid-to-late December, and it’s winter cold. Please take precautions against the cold.

Temperatures in the Kanto region will be higher than yesterday, and temperatures in central Tokyo will be around normal at 17 degrees Celsius. Temperatures in Tohoku and Hokkaido are expected to be higher than normal, with temperatures expected to reach 14°C in Sendai and 12°C in Sapporo. However, the wind will be strong and it will feel colder than the temperature numbers. It would be a good idea to wear a jacket that doesn’t allow the wind to pass through.

What is very strong wind?

Very strong winds refer to winds with an average wind speed of 20 m/s or more and less than 30 m/s. The speed is approximately 70km to 110km per hour, which is about the same speed as a car on a highway. This is the kind of wind where you have to hold on to something to stand up, making it difficult for your car to drive at normal speeds. When such winds blow, roof tiles and signboards may fall or be blown away. (In addition, the instantaneous wind speed is often about 1.5 times the average wind speed, and sometimes more than 3 times.)

There is a risk of injury from flying objects, so caution is required when performing outdoor activities. If very strong winds are expected, keep flower pots and other objects that can be easily blown away indoors.

Danger of normal tires

When you drive on snowy roads with normal tires, the tires become hard due to low temperatures and lose their adhesion, making it impossible for them to grip the road surface with friction. For this reason, if a vehicle “slips”, “does not stop”, or “does not turn”, it becomes impossible to control the movement that the vehicle is supposed to maintain, leading to slip accidents and traffic jams.

Driving test results show that when driving on snowy roads at 40km/h, the distance from when you step on the brake until the car stops is about 1.7 times longer with normal tires than with winter tires.

Normal tires are very dangerous on snowy roads, so be sure to use winter tires and chains. Roads may be icy after snow or rain. Even if it looks like there is no snow on the road, you need to be very careful when driving.