Snow piled up at an intersection as a blizzard hit northern Japan.

Footage taken on January 12 in Hokkaido Prefecture's Wakkanai City shows the bleak landscape as the empty road was filled with white snow.

Japan’s northern and central areas were battered by severe blizzards that have left at least eight people dead and hundreds more injured. The snowfall measured is reportedly triple the average amount usually experienced at this time of year.

Authorities said tens of thousands of homes were affected by a power outage across Hokkaido prefecture and the Tohoku region.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasted the severe weather, which is caused by two low-pressure systems in the Sea of Japan, to continue until January 14.