Traffic disrupted and schools closed as snowstorms hit (3)

Authorities in Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces issued alerts for icy roads. The snow is expected to stop by Friday.

In Liaoning, vehicles carrying dangerous goods and passenger vehicles with more than seven seats have been banned from some high-risk parts of some highways, Yu Ying, a provincial traffic official, said.

The provincial capital, Shenyang, saw its first snow this winter on Sunday, and the sudden chilly weather caused some inconvenience for commuters.

With frequent cold fronts hitting the country, health experts also warned the elderly, children and the sick to avoid going outside when a cold snap is passing through.

Zhao Hongyu, deputy director of Shengjing Hospital in Shenyang, said the number of patients grew by at least 30 percent over the weekend, mainly because of the sudden temperature drop.