Snow covered large areas Japanleading to travel problems across the country and the cancellation of many flights, with at least one death.

An unusual cold wave and an extremely low barometric system have been causing heavy snowfalls and strong winds across Japan since yesterday Tuesday.

Snowfall was particularly heavy in coastal areas bordering the Sea of ​​Japan, with the city of Maniwa in the western part of the country recording a record 93 cm of snow in 24 hours.

One person has died, while the causes of death of two others are being investigated to see if they were related to bad weather, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said.

Domestic airlines including ANA and Japan Airlines have canceled more than 300 flights, while trains in northern Japan have also been canceled or delayed.

On a highway in the central part of the country, cars and trucks were stuck in the snow, forming a queue of more than 10 kilometers long, state broadcaster NHK reported.

About 3,000 people were stranded at two stations in Kyoto city due to yesterday’s strong winds and snow that stopped traffic, and some passengers had to sleep on the floor of the city’s main station.

Others were stuck for hours on at least 15 trains between stations from last night until early morning, and some decided to get off the train and walk through the snow to get to the station.

A Hong Kong-flagged merchant ship sank early in the morning between western Japan and the South Korean island of Jeju due to strong winds and a storm. Rescued 13 of the 22 crew members, the search for the rest continues. The storm is expected to continue tomorrow Thursday.

^{According to REUTERS}