The worst snow and ice storms in five decades are likely to
continue lashing much of central and southern China for at least
three days, prompting the top weatherman to urge travelers to
abandon plans for long journeys.
Zheng Guoguang, chief of the China Meteorological Administration
(CMA), yesterday said the icy temperatures, snow and sleet, which
have struck much of the country's central, eastern and southern
regions for two weeks, are likely to continue to disrupt
transportation through the Spring Festival, as temperatures show no
signs of rising.
The holiday, which begins on Feb 6, is the most important on the
Chinese calendar and railway officials had estimated a passenger
flow of 178.6 million people - the size of the combined population
of Italy, France and Britain. But thousands of travelers have ended
up being stranded in crammed stations after electric trains were
stalled.
"For the sake of their safety, and relieving the stress on
transport, I advise migrant workers to stay in the cities where
they work," Zheng told China Daily.
Earlier, the meteorological agency had appealed to residents to
avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.
"There is an interval of reduced rainfall and snow forecast for
around Saturday, but you can't expect power-cut-hit railways and
icebound highways to be restored to normal immediately."
There are reports that traffic flow is improving in central and
southern provinces but hundreds of thousands of passengers are
still trapped on highways and rail stations.
Zheng explained that the most severe winter weather seen in
China for half a century was largely caused by the steady cold
fronts from the north reacting with the continuous flow of warm
humid currents from the south.
"In the past, such a process would last a few days; but this
month, they've been lingering there, causing abundant
precipitation, and snow and sleet to blanket much of central and
southern China," Zheng said.
The CMA has made "pretty accurate" forecasts, and has delivered
messages to residents through various means including mobile phones
and digital bulletins, Zheng said.
The unusually low temperatures - minus 6 to 0 C for most of the
affected regions, which is up to 4 C degrees lower than the average
- have exacerbated the situation. For example, power lines have
been weighed down by ice and sleet, causing them to snap and pylons
to topple.
Yang Guimin, chief CMA forecaster, yesterday also said the
prolonged low temperature was not only a result of bad weather, but
also an instigator - as long as there is rainfall or snowfall, low
temperature would prevent them from evaporating or melting, thus
further worsening ground conditions.
"In normal weather conditions, it would take at least one week
for full restoration of power supply; against the current backdrop,
it will take far longer for electricity supply, and road and
railway traffic to return to normal," Zheng said.
Spokesperson Jiao Meiyan blamed the streak of bad weather partly
on La Nina, which means "little girl" in Spanish.
La Nina is an oceanographic phenomenon due to colder ocean
temperatures and can lead to relatively hotter summers and colder
winters.
China is not the only victim of La Nina. North America, Latin
America and Europe, as well as some parts of Asia have been hit by
snowstorms this winter.
Yu Xinwen, an official from CMA, said the government will launch
a five-year project to prevent and pre-warn of meteorological
disasters.
(China Daily January 31, 2008)