Deep Freeze Grips China, Disrupting Travel and Daily Life

A severe cold wave has swept across China, blanketing vast regions with freezing temperatures, snow, and ice, prompting authorities to implement traffic restrictions on highways due to hazardous conditions. Temperatures are expected to plummet to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius in northeastern Heilongjiang, western Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and provinces such as Gansu and Qinghai.

Traffic accidents on icy roads have been reported, leading to traffic controls in provinces like Henan, where snowfall, icy roads, and heavy fog contributed to multiple accidents on expressways. Shanghai issued its first cold wave warning of the year, temporarily suspending ferries and some buses as temperatures are forecasted to drop to as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius.

In Tibetan cities, sections of national and provincial highways were blocked by snow and ice, requiring extensive mobilization of personnel and resources for snow removal. While the national warning for blizzards was lifted, heavy snowfall is still expected in northeastern provinces, necessitating ongoing efforts for snow removal and prevention measures. Despite a forecasted decrease in freezing rain, some higher terrains in Guizhou and Hunan may still experience its effects on December 15.