9 October 2006 -- A nuclear power plant in northern Japan was forced to reduce output by more than 60 percent after a storm washed seaweed into its water intakes, causing a shortage of cooling water, the plant operator said.

Unit No. 1 reactor of the Higashidori Nuclear Power Station in Aomori prefecture was generating 400,000 kilowatts Sunday night, down from the usual 1.1 million kilowatts, after seaweed clogged the filters on its two water entryways, operator Tohoku Electric Power Co. said in a statement.

Northeastern Japan was hit by stormy weather Friday from tropical storms in the Pacific Ocean. It was expected to take several days before the plant can resume normal operations. Aomori is some 600 kilometers northeast of Tokyo.