COLD weather gripped large swathes of China yesterday as people in many southern places, including those in Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi and Guizhou, witnessed their first snow of the year. China’s meteorological authority also renewed a yellow alert for heavy snow in some regions of the country. Snowstorms will hit parts of Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangxi, with the snowfall expected to reach 2 cm to 6 cm, the National Meteorological Center said. Several trains traveling between Guangdong and Hunan were suspended due to the sudden temperature drop and forecasts of heavy snow and blizzards, CGTN reported. Parts of Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi are expected to see freezing rain during the period, according to the meteorological center. It has advised pedestrians and drivers to be extra careful during the snowy weather, and urged local authorities to take precautions concerning roads, railways, electricity and telecommunications. “This cold spell won’t be as severe as the one in December, but it will have a strong and widespread impact, especially in the southern regions. Overall, the decrease in minimum temperature will be relatively more significant than the fall in maximum temperature,” Sun Jun, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, told China Daily. The Ministry of Emergency Management said that it had held a joint meeting with the meteorological, public security, transportation and energy authorities, as well as local authorities in 13 provincial-level regions, to evaluate the impact of the cold wave and arrange precautionary and response measures. It added that the impact of this round of rain and snow may be felt for a long time. The rush of people moving from one place to another and other logistical pressures in the run up to the Spring Festival holiday could worsen the situation. “It is important to focus on risk prevention in key industries and sectors and strengthen monitoring of road networks and inspections of ice accumulation on power grids,” the ministry said. Work teams have been sent to Hunan and Guizhou provinces to offer guidance, the ministry added. (SD News) | 