The frozen section of the Yellow River estuary has expanded to
nearly 600 kilometers on Monday as temperatures continued to
plummet in Shandong Province.
The ice density in the main part of the river was 10 percent to
30 percent, with the largest piece of ice estimated at about 150
square meters, said Chen Xianjun with the Yellow River Shandong
Bureau.
Temperatures plunged last week in the eastern province and are
expected to remain low this week. Monday's low was recorded at 8
degrees Celsius.
"If the frozen area continues to expand, the river is likely to
be blocked," Chen said.
Local governments are removing float bridges across the river in
the region to ensure a smooth ice flow.
The annual ice run was first spotted at the outlet of the Yellow
River on Dec. 31, about half a month later than usual. Ice
formations at the lower reaches of the river usually last to
February. River freezing can pose a hazard to the safety of
embankments along some narrow and winding sections, where a large
amount of ice always accumulates.
The Yellow River, the second longest in China, originates in
Qinghai Province in the northwest and flows through Gansu, Ningxia,
Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan, before emptying into the
Bohai Sea.
(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2008)
