Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Adverse weather conditions, including freezing rain, snow, and ice, have severely impacted travel plans for many individuals across central and eastern China. This disruption comes at a critical time, as billions embark on their journeys home in anticipation of the Spring Festival. Over the past week, chilly weather has enveloped various parts of the nation, complicating travel during one of the busiest periods of the year.
Hubei province has experienced the brunt of these challenging conditions, with its highways significantly slowed and numerous trains either delayed or cancelled, leaving many travellers without a means to reach their destinations.
The plight of one driver who found themselves trapped for an extensive three-day period. Additionally, locals have reported widespread delays and suspensions of train services, resulting in large numbers of passengers being stranded at railway stations in Wuhan. The situation escalated to the point where runways at Wuhan’s Tianhe Airport were temporarily closed, as reported by state media CCTV.
The adverse weather has also had tragic consequences, with at least two fatalities occurring in snow-related incidents. These incidents included one individual from Hubei and another from the southern province of Hunan, where the heavy snowfall led to the collapse of ceilings in farmers’ markets, as confirmed by both state media reports and a local government statement.
Forecasters have warned that the severe weather conditions are expected to persist for several more days, with predictions of widespread snow and rain. In response, provincial authorities in Hubei have been actively working to address the issue by clearing tunnels and bridges of thick ice, which has been causing significant traffic blockages.
To alleviate some of the travel woes, the province has directed hundreds of highway toll stations to implement traffic control measures, including allowing vehicles to pass through tolls free of charge. In Hunan province, the weight of the ice has caused trees to bend and fall onto roads, further hindering travel, as illustrated in photos from the China Meteorological Administration.
The Central Meteorological Observatory of China has forecasted another round of rain, snow, and freezing weather to affect the country’s south in the first half of this week. However, there is a silver lining, as conditions are expected to improve starting Thursday.
Tags: china, freezing rain, Hubei, Hunan, snow, spring festival, Travel, weather
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
