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Snow falls 30 days early in Fukuoka

FUKUOKA - Fukuoka City, on the northern shore of Japan's Kyushu Island, observed its first snowfall of the season on Saturday, 30 days ahead of average.

Hakata Ward in Fukuoka City was hit by a severe hailstorm amid strong winds at about 7:30 AM Saturday morning, Nov 18.

The Fukuoka District Meteorological Observatory confirmed the early snowfall, highlighting its arrival 30 days sooner than the average and 26 days earlier than the previous year.

Mountains with higher altitudes were entirely blanketed in snow.

A surge of the season's coldest air into the northern Kyushu region has resulted in unstable weather conditions. This led to occasional violent gusts, with Hakata Ward recording a peak wind speed of 26.7 meters per second.

In Hakata Ward, a construction site's scaffolding nearly collapsed, prompting traffic restrictions on parts of Ohbashi Street.

The Meteorological Observatory has alerted the public to be cautious of strong winds and similar conditions through the early hours of Sunday, Nov 19, FBS Fukuoka reports.

Source: FBS福岡放送ニュース

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