Tokyo, Feb 20 (IANS): Temperatures rose across Japan as warm air flowed in from the south, with daytime highs hitting a record for February at many locations in northern Japan, the weather agency said.

The temperature rose to 17.1 degrees Celsius in Hokkaido's Mombetsu City, matching temperatures usually seen in late June, Xinhua news agency reported.

The unseasonably high temperature was 18.8 degrees higher than the average for this time of year and topped the previous record of 12.6 degrees logged in 1960, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Monday.

Temperatures also reached 20.1 degrees in Akita City, northern Japan, 21.8 degrees in Kanazawa City in central Japan and 16.5 degrees in central Tokyo.

Unseasonably warm weather is expected to continue in many parts of Japan on Tuesday, the JMA said, adding that the daytime high is forecast to reach 24 degrees in Shizuoka City and 22 degrees in central Tokyo.

Weather officials warned that rain will likely fall in wide areas of northern and eastern Japan, leading to a rapid snowmelt, calling on people to be on alert for possible flooding in low-lying areas, swollen rivers and avalanches.