SHANGHAI • At least three Chinese airports were shut and nine others experienced extensive delays because of heavy snowfall, Chinese aviation data provider VariFlight said yesterday.

The national observatory put China's snow alert on its second-highest level this week, state news agency Xinhua said, adding that parts of the central, northern and eastern regions could see up to 30cm of snow.

VariFlight said Hefei Xinqiao International Airport and Fuyang Xiguan Airport in eastern Anhui province, and Jining Qufu Airport in coastal Shandong province had been shut. Beijing Capital International Airport, one of China's busiest, experienced some delays.

China's National Meteorological Centre urged the authorities to take precautions regarding roads, railways, electricity supplies and telecommunications, Xinhua said.

Snow on the roads of Zhengzhou city, capital of Henan province, had reached 5cm by yesterday morning, the news agency said.

In Henan, Hubei and Hunan provinces and north-western Ningxia Autonomous Region, several sections of highways were temporarily closed and heavy-duty vehicles were banned from entering.

Separately, one person died and dozens were injured after five bus stops collapsed owing to heavy snowfall in Hefei yesterday. Heavy snowfall began to sweep Anhui province from Wednesday and its observatory raised the snowstorm alert to red in five cities and counties yesterday morning.

REUTERS, CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK