Snow and ice disrupt trips home for millions ahead of Chinese New Year
China is experiencing major disruptions in traffic due to freezing rain, snow, and ice, causing chaos for millions of people returning home before the Spring Festival.
The provinces of Hunan and Hubei have been particularly affected by severe weather, with road closures, train cancellations, and flight delays. Social media videos show people stranded on trains and cars covered in snow in various cities across the region.
This chaotic situation has left many passengers outraged. One Weibo user complains, “This weather in Wuhan can drive you crazy. You have to walk 20,000 steps every day to go to work, and then you get home and there’s no electricity because the cables are down.”
In addition to public transportation problems, hundreds of trains have been delayed or suspended. The Tianhe Airport in Wuhan has also temporarily closed.
The damage caused by freezing rain is also evident, with fallen trees and several road sections closed in 10 provinces.
Unfortunately, two snow-related accidents have already resulted in deaths in the provinces of Hubei and Hunan.
According to Chinese emergency authorities, severe weather is expected to continue for a few more days. In response to this critical situation, several cities have increased their meteorological warnings and emergency response plans.
To deal with ice accumulation on power lines, provinces are implementing preventive measures. In the case of Hubei, they are clearing tunnels and bridges where ice is causing traffic bottlenecks. Additionally, hundreds of toll booths are offering free passage to vehicles to minimize congestion.
To assist with snow and ice removal operations on highways, the Chinese Ministries of Finance and Transportation have issued a total of 141 million yuan (approximately $19.6 million) for 11 provinces and municipalities affected by the severe weather.
The Central Chinese Meteorological Observatory predicts more rain, snow, and freezing conditions for the south during the early part of this week. However, conditions are expected to improve starting Thursday.
In summary: China is facing difficulties caused by a dangerous combination of freezing rain, snow, and ice. These weather conditions have disrupted traffic on roads as well as rail and air public transportation. Furthermore, there are concerning reports of people being stranded for hours in these affected means of transportation. The problems resulting from these adversities include power outages in homes due to fallen cables following the drop in temperatures during this intense cold spell in central China throughout the past week.
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| A China enfrenta dificuldades devido à chuva congelante, neve e gelo. O tráfego rodoviário, ferroviário e aéreo foi afetado, causando atrasos e cancelamentos. Pessoas ficaram presas em trens e carros cobertos de neve. Árvores caídas e estradas fechadas foram relatadas em 10 províncias. Dois acidentes relacionados à neve resultaram em mortes. Autoridades implementaram medidas preventivas e ofereceram passagem gratuita para minimizar congestionamentos. Recursos financeiros foram destinados para remoção de neve e gelo nas rodovias. Previsão indica melhora das condições climáticas a partir de quinta-feira. |
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