China warns of second wave of snow after lifting blizzard alert

SHANGHAI/ BEIJING: China warned of a second wave of snow and sleet hitting northern, central and eastern parts of the country yesterday after record snowfall paralysed parts of the country.

The National Meteorological Centre lifted a blizzard alert and said light to moderate snowfall was expected to sweep across much of the north between yesterday and Sunday, with heavy snow in some parts and sleet in others.

The weather bureau issued an alert on Wednesday, with snow disrupting public transport and energy supplies, damaging power lines and forcing authorities to shut down roads, airports and schools in parts of central China.

All power in Suizhou, a small city of 2.5 million people in the north of central Hubei province, was down due to heavy snow, state broadcaster China Central Television reported.

Temperatures in Suizhou are expected to plunge as low as minus 5 degrees Celsius yesterday.

Hubei, which does not have central heating infrastructure unlike northern provinces, has seen a spike in electricity consumption for heating, according to CCTV.

In Wuhan, capital of Hubei, the local government has loosened restrictions on gas use for residents battling freezing temperatures.

On Thursday, at least three airports were shut and nine were experiencing extensive delays because of heavy snowfall.

Several high-speed trains from Shanghai and Beijing were also delayed or cancelled on Thursday, and highways in the provinces of Jiangsu, Henan, Shaanxi and Hubei have also been closed off, the China Daily reported.

The ceilings of several bus stations in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, had collapsed as a result of snow, resulting in at least one death, the newspaper said.

The province saw a record 30cm of snow on Thursday.

TheroofofafactoryinXiangyang, also in Hubei province, collapsed, trapping five people, and traffic in the city ground to a halt, according to the state broadcaster, China National Radio.

CCTV footage yesterday also showed collapsed roofs of factories in Henan and Anhui provinces.

By contrast, Beijing has been dry, with many parts of northern China experiencing little to no snowfall. — Reuters