Image source, Getty Images
The extreme cold is hampering people's plans to reunite with their families to celebrate the Lunar New Year
Snow storms and freezing rain have disrupted transportation in large parts of China, as millions of people travel for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Hundreds of flights and train services were cancelled, while motorists were stranded on icy highways for days.
The holiday kicks off the “largest annual human migration” as millions in China travel to their hometowns.
Authorities expect 480 million trips to be made on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. Volume is 40% higher compared to the previous year.
The China Meteorological Administration warned of the worst winter weather since 2008. The country's central region – including provinces such as Hebei, Hubei and Anhui – bore the brunt of the freezing conditions.
On social media, the Chinese said the extreme cold had ruined their plans to reunite with their families. They posted pictures of themselves stranded on trains and railway stations with power lines down.
The Lunar New Year falls on February 10, which is a Saturday.
“When the Spring Festival coincides with a snowstorm: Residents were unable to leave Wuhan three years ago [because of the Covid-19 outbreak]. “Now, three years later, we can't get into this,” said a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. User X posted a video showing a crowded train station with queues of people stuck on the escalators because they were too steep. Crowded for them to move.
Some users thanked those who braved the cold to deliver food and hot water to passengers stranded on icy roads. One clip showed a woman in Xiantao City, Hubei Province, using a pulley system to refill water bottles for those stranded on the highway. “You can just put your bottle in the basket. There's no need to pay,” she said.
Image source, Getty Images
The annual Spring Festival holiday launches the world's largest human migration as millions return to their hometowns
About 255 cities across the country saw days when average daily temperatures fell below zero Celsius, far exceeding conditions of previous years.
Nearly 100 highway toll stations in Anhui prevented cars from entering due to icy conditions. State broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday that 4,000 vehicles were stuck on the roads.
One person was killed and 13 others were injured in a city in Hunan province on Monday after a roof collapsed due to heavy snowfall in a local market.
China's central government said it would disburse 141 million yuan ($20 million, £15.6 million) to fund urgent snow removal on highways and related works in 11 provinces, China Central Television reported.
The freezing weather is expected to ease soon, with authorities lifting the severest blizzard warning on Wednesday. Snow will continue to fall in southern and central China, but the weather is expected to become warmer by Friday, according to reports.
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