Cold wave freezes most of China, shutting highways, roads

BEIJING – President Xi Jinping called for “all-out” emergency response efforts as a cold wave extended its grip over China on Dec 15, with temperatures falling below freezing across most of the country and snowfall affecting transport in many places.

Temperatures were expected to drop to below minus 40 deg C in parts of the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang and in the region of Xinjiang in the north-west, along with Inner Mongolia and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai, according to the National Meteorological Centre’s forecasts.

Mr Xi, who went to the southern Guangxi region on Dec 14 and 15, said heavy rain and snow in many parts of the country had affected power supplies, transport and people’s lives, the official Xinhua news agency reported. It added that he told local governments to refine their precautionary measures and improve contingency plans.

The cold wave that began at the start of this week is moving through the country from north to south and was expected to drag temperatures lower into the weekend, although rain and snow will decrease, the meteorological centre said.

The city of Yichun in Heilongjiang could see the record low of minus 47.9 deg C, registered in January 1980, broken early next week.

In Henan province, snowfall and icy roads coupled with heavy fog caused multiple accidents on several expressways, leading to traffic controls. The traffic authorities in the Ningxia autonomous region said some of its highways have become unsafe, and implemented temporary traffic measures as snow fell.

Neighbouring Gansu also saw some highways closed and train services suspended, according to state media.

On Beijing’s outskirts, the authorities looking into an accident on a commuter rail line said a train carriage failed to brake while moving downhill, colliding with another car that had stopped because track conditions had deteriorated due to snow. They said 515 people were taken to hospitals for medical checks after the accident, many with bone fractures.

In the southern coastal province of Guangdong, maritime authorities had suspended 29 passenger ferry routes as of Dec 15 afternoon, state television said.

Ferry and some bus services were temporarily suspended early on Dec 15 in Shanghai, as the financial hub issued its first cold wave warning of the year, with temperatures as low as minus 6 deg C expected at the weekend.

In the south-west, sections of many national and provincial highways in Tibetan cities such as Shigatse and Nyingchi were blocked due to snow, ice and low visibility.

Beijing and the provinces of Jiangxi and Shanxi have also taken measures to secure vegetable and fruit harvests from freeze damage and diseases, state media said.

China lifted its warning for blizzards before dawn on Dec 15 but said heavy snowfall is forecast in parts of north-eastern Liaoning and Jilin provinces and Shandong.

In the city of Shenyang in Liaoning province, the authorities deployed 22,000 workers and more than 3,400 machines for snow removal operations, clearing as much as 12,800 cubic metres of snow by early Dec 15.

Shenyang’s observatory has forecast snowfall and strong winds until Dec 16.

Next week, cold air will continue to flow across the country from north to south, keeping temperatures low in the central and eastern regions.

Forecasters said most of the country will see lower-than-usual temperatures over the next 10 days. REUTERS