Tokyo : A powerful snowstorm in Japan on Tuesday trapped hundreds of vehicles in massive traffic snarls which lasted for over 20 hours and required army assistance to clear.

In Tottori, the snow has reportedly already surpassed 1 metre in depth. Other regions are also expecting heavy snowfall, with areas near Tokyo expecting up to 40 cm of snow in the next 24 hours, Efe news reported.

The snow caused traffic snarls that stretched up to two km in western Japan and more than 300 cars were trapped in snow in a mountainous region of Tottori.

The traffic hold-up began at 2 p.m. on Monday and continued in some places until well into Tuesday morning.

The governor of Tottori requested army assistance for bringing food to those affected and to help clear the snow and move vehicles.  IANS