08 Jan

Strong winds brought by a low pressure system have caused power outages at 43,200 households in the northern Japanese prefecture of Akita.

As of 11 a.m. on Friday, around 27,100 households in Akita City and about 5,400 households in Happo Town were without power. Seven other municipalities have been affected.

Tohoku Electric Power Network is working to restore the power supply, but says it remains unknown when power will be restored, given the scope of the area hit by the outage.

A maximum momentary wind velocity of 153 kilometers per hour was logged in Happo town just after 8 p.m. on Thursday. That's the strongest gust recorded there.

Eight municipalities in Akita Prefecture have set up emergency shelters for those who wish to evacuate due to strong winds and heavy snow.

NHK