Most Chinese cities experienced a brutally cold morning on
Monday when temperatures plummeted and snowflakes dropped.
In the northeast Liaoning Province, a strong cold front hit all
the cities as the northeastern Xifeng County reported minus 30
degrees centigrade, a record low for the period over the past 30
years.
In the eastern Jiangxi Province, the provincial meteorological
authority issued a warning for cold air and icy roads. Snow and
rain was expected in most of the province over the next three
days.
According to the local meteorological observatory, most regions
reported an 11-14 degree centigrade temperature plunge within 48
hours.
People in southwest Sichuan Province put on more clothing when
snow fell on the basin. In Chengdu, the provincial capital,
continuous rain and a rare snowfall brought down the temperature by
an average of five degrees.
The sudden temperature drop had caught many by surprise.
"I did not expect that there would be such a cold day in
Chengdu," said local resident Chen Kai, clad in a down garment he
hadn't worn in years.
In the central Hubei Province, heavy snow played havoc with
traffic.
The Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, the provincial
capital, was closed for more than two hours on Monday. Nearly 300
flights have been delayed since Sunday, according to Lin Hua, an
airport official.
The heavy snow also closed all expressways in the province
temporarily.
"About 1,000 coach runs have been affected, stranding a large
number of passengers," said Wang Yuanfang who works at a Wuhan
coach terminal.
The Wuhan Observatory warned the snow and rain would last for
about two days.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2008)
