North Japan town buried under six feet of snow

Parts of northern Japan were digging out today from nearly six feet (1.8 metres) of snow after a massive winter storm dumped record amounts.

Around 50 troops were pressed into action in Hokkaido to shovel paths to snow-blanketed houses in Rausu on the eastern tip of the island.

The town was the worst-hit part of Japan when a major snowstorm whacked into the country at the weekend.

The meteorological agency which gave the snowfall figure warned of strong winds and further snowfall still to come in the region.

"We are telling our residents to stay home if possible," a town official told AFP by telephone.
 

"It's quite dangerous to go outside in this storm," the official said, adding that there had been no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The snowfall yesterday forced railway operators to cancel nearly 100 train services, affecting some 4,660 passengers, according to local media.

The severe weather comes as the US city of Boston was suffering with its own record snowfall of 40 centimetres (1.3 feet) yesterday, forcing the postponement of a victory parade for Super Bowl winners the New England Patriots and spelling travel misery.