Tokyo experienced a rare late-March snowfall last Sunday as a deepening area of low pressure off the coast brought snow to the centre of the Japanese capital. The official observation of 1cm marked the first time in 32 years that central Tokyo witnessed such a snow accumulation. The snowfall was a significant contrast to the newly-blossoming cherry trees, with the cherry blossom season officially starting in Tokyo on the 14 March, the earliest on record.

Meanwhile, midwestern states in the US were the focal point of an outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the weekend. Tornadoes were reported in Arkansas, Illinois and Iowa, with a particularly intense tornado devastating parts of Jonesboro, Arkansas, causing major damage at a shopping centre and the local airport. The storms also brought hailstones larger than baseballs, while parts of central and northern Minnesota, only a few hundred miles away, saw blizzards.

Cold easterly winds blew across the Italian peninsula last week, bringing spring snowfall to many eastern areas of Italy – the first of the “winter” season. Between 20-40cm fell over the Apennines. Snowfalls were reported even at sea level along the Adriatic coast, with heavy snow showers as far south as Bari, in Puglia, the south-easternmost region of Italy.



