Winter rolls in across much of China with new cold snap
- Source: Global Times
- [03:23 November 09 2009]
- Comments
Cyclists wait at a traffic light Sunday morning in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province. Photo: CFP
Song Shengxia
A new round of strong cold air that rolled in on Saturday is expected to bring a sustained cold spell, snow and rainfall Monday to large parts of China, mitigating the drought currently gripping the south and declaring the coming of winter nationwide.
The second cold snap is gripping most parts of northern China, bringing foggy weather to 10 provinces and cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi and Zhejiang and up to 14 degrees of temperature drop.
Meanwhile, the heat continues in some southern cities such as Nanning, with temperatures hitting 30 degrees C on Saturday, the day of Lidong, a Chinese term for the beginning of winter.
Dense fog that enveloped the capital city has caused traffic authorities to shut down seven highways except the one to Badaling Great Wall, the China News Agency reported Sunday.
The first air display, including aerobatic flight and parachute jumps to mark
the 60th anniversary of the China Air Force, scheduled for Sunday morning, was canceled due to the foggy weather.
Wang Fengqing, a driver for Beijing Emergency Center 999, told the Global Times Sunday that visibility was particularly poor and he had to make a detour Saturday to avoid the south Sixth Ring Road, which was shut down due to the fog, while he transported patients to hospitals.
"In some areas, I could not see objects 100 meters ahead of me. Maintaining a safe distance with cars in front of you is a golden rule in this weather," Wang said.
The fog caused a pileup of 13 vehicles on a highway in Jiangsu Province Sunday, killing three people and seriously injuring four.
The Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport had to suspend services for three hours due to heavy fog that left more than 30,000 passengers stranded.
The traffic, heat supply and weather-monitoring bodies in northern China are stepping up efforts to cope with the second round of temperature drops.
Maritime authorities in Shangdong Province warned passenger ferries to suspend their services in case of strong winds to prevent possible accidents at sea, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.
