TOKYO, Feb 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Japan warned of possible avalanches in the country's northern regions on Wednesday as the mercury suddenly rose after two weeks of extreme snowfall that paralysed traffic and collapsed houses. "We ask affected residents to be careful and stay mindful of falling snow and avalanches," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said at a press briefing. Many of the cases involve mounds of snow falling on residents from houses or people tumbling from their roofs while trying to clear it. Television images showed residents walking along narrow paths carved between massive walls of snow, standing twice as high as people. Weather forecasters warn that cold weather will return from the weekend and bring further snow to northern cities.
