China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) is continuing to issue its second highest alert for parts of southern China now battling freezing temperatures and icy rain, as more bad weather is expected.

The NMC on Thursday forecast freezing rain -- which quickly turns into ice on the ground -- for central and northern Guizhou Province, western Hunan Province and the northeastern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Icy weather and sleet have disrupted the lives of more than 3.83 million people in Jiangxi, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan and Guizhou since Saturday, forcing closure of highways and suspension of water and power supplies.

In Wanshan region in Guizhou Province, the local government has sent two water trucks to provide over 8,000 residents with drinking water as 70 percent of the region's water pipelines were frozen.

"The rice and vegetables at home can sustain us for a month. As long as the water supply is ensured we don't need to go out and our lives won't be affected," said Chen Jiayou, a 75-year-old resident living in Zhangjiawan Community of Wanshan.

In Youyang County in Chongqing Municipality, which neighbors Guizhou, nearly 100,000 residents are facing water shortages as part of the county's water pipeline has cracked due to the severe cold.

Further, some residents had to trek kilometers to fetch water from wells because the water supply in the county had been cut for four days, said Hong Tao, a manager of the county's water supply company.

On Wednesday afternoon, a Xinhua reporter saw more than 20 residents gather around a well that had rarely been used. They were washing clothes, rinsing rice or fetching water from the well.

"We haven't bathed for days. The water pipeline at home was broken and water has flowed into our dining hall and kitchen," said Luo Zhaolu, a resident living in the county town.

Employees of the water supply company have been working nearly 15 hours every day to repair pipelines, said Liu Fei, another manager with the company.

In Sichuan Province, some electric transmitting cables malfunctioned due to the freezing weather and two power plants have suspended operations, a report posted on the website of China National Radio quoted sources with the provincial electric power company as saying.

Icy rain and freezing temperatures caused chaos in southern China in January 2008, resulting in traffic deadlocks and power blackouts.