Widespread Cold Spell Grips China, Resulting in Highway and Road Closures.
Summary:
Severe Weather Disrupts Transportation Systems Across China, Including Highways, Trains, Buses, and Ferries.
The Majority of the Country Experiences Sub-Freezing Temperatures, with Heilongjiang Anticipating a Possible Record-Breaking Cold Spell Next Week.
President Xi Urges Comprehensive Emergency Response Measures.
Widespread Cold Spell Grips China :
In Beijing on December 15, President Xi Jinping urgently called for a "all-out" response as a pervasive cold wave tightened its grip over China. On Friday, temperatures plunged below freezing nationwide, causing disruption in transportation due to widespread snowfall.
Forecasts from China's National Meteorological Centre indicated an imminent drop to below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in regions including the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, the northwest region of Xinjiang, as well as Inner Mongolia, and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai.
During his visit to the southern Guangxi region on Thursday and Friday, President Xi Jinping expressed concern over the impact of heavy rain and snow on power supplies, transportation, and people's lives across various parts of the country, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency. He instructed local governments to enhance their precautionary measures and fortify contingency plans.
The prevailing cold wave, which commenced earlier in the week, is traversing the nation from north to south. The Meteorological Centre predicts a further decline in temperatures into the weekend, with a gradual decrease in rain and snowfall.
The city of Yichun in Heilongjiang could see a record low of minus 47.9°C (minus 54.2°F), recorded in January 1980, potentially broken early next week.
In Henan province, snowfall and icy roads, along with heavy fog, caused multiple accidents on several expressways leading to traffic controls.
Traffic authorities in Ningxia region said some of its highways have become unsafe and implemented temporary traffic measures as snow fell. Neighboring Gansu also saw some highways closed and trains suspended, according to state media.
On the outskirts of Beijing, authorities are investigating an accident on a commuter rail line. Preliminary findings indicate that a train carriage failed to brake while descending a hill, leading to a collision with another car. The stopped car had halted due to deteriorating track conditions caused by the snow.
Following the accident, authorities reported that 515 people were transported to hospitals for medical checks, with many suffering from bone fractures.
In the southern coastal province of Guangdong, maritime authorities took action by suspending 29 passenger ferry routes. Simultaneously, in Shanghai, ferries and some buses were temporarily halted as the city issued its inaugural cold wave warning of the year, anticipating temperatures as low as minus 6°C (21.2°F) over the weekend.
In the southwest, sections of numerous national and provincial highways in Tibetan cities such as Shigatse and Nyingchi faced blockades due to snow, ice, and low visibility.
To safeguard vegetable and fruit harvests from freeze damage and diseases, measures have been implemented in Beijing and the provinces of Jiangxi and Shanxi, as reported by state media.
While China lifted its blizzard warning before dawn on Friday, it forewarned heavy snowfall in parts of Liaoning and Jilin provinces in the northeast, as well as in Shandong. In Shenyang city, authorities deployed 22,000 workers and over 3,400 machines for snow removal operations, with the observatory forecasting snowfall and strong winds until Saturday.
Looking ahead, a continuation of cold air flowing across the country from north to south is anticipated, maintaining low temperatures in central and eastern regions next week.
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