Cold weather and an early snowstorm in northeastern China hit Heilongjiang, the country’s
northernmost province, causing flights to be canceled and schools forced to close, the government
and local media said on Monday.
Heilongjiang canceled 49 flights, but the airport in the provincial capital, Harbin, was still operating
normally. According to government officials via Wechat social media, most elementary and middle schools,
kindergartens and off-campus activities had to be canceled due to heavy snow and freezing air that
hit the province.
Weather authorities in China warned that temperatures may drop drastically in the next few days,
accompanied by snowstorms hitting various cities in the province. “The weather changed outside the house at night,” said a netizen from Heilongjiang via China’s popular social media, Weibo.
On Sunday evening, Heilongjiang authorities issued a red warning, the highest warning in China,
as several provinces were expected to experience snowfall of 20mm to 40mm from Sunday
evening to Monday evening.
Heavy snow is also expected to cover Inner Mongolia, Heibei, Jilin and Liaoning, China Daily
reported. In Jilin and Liaoning, schools were also temporarily closed. According to the Central Meteorological Observatory, temperatures in various regions may drop by 6 to 10 degrees Celsius and in some areas even drop to 16 degrees Celsius.
The weather observation center on Sunday issued an orange warning for snowstorms in several regions in China.
Meanwhile, China’s National Meteorological Center issued an orange warning for snowstorms and
a blue warning for cold waves and strong winds, the Global Times said. Chinese authorities have a four-colour coded weather warning system, with red being the highest level, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Source : Antara
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