North China steels itself against record blizzard

SHENYANG/CHANGCHUN, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- China is resolved to tackle the strong snowstorm that is wreaking havoc and disrupting normal life in its northern regions.

The lingering blizzard, which began on Sunday, has brought record snowfall.

Shenyang, the capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province, had by Tuesday logged an average snowfall of 51 millimeters and a maximum snow depth of 41 centimeters, the highest level recorded since 1905, local meteorological authorities have said.

Local traffic has been severely disrupted by the heavy snowfall, with most expressway toll stations in the province remaining closed on Tuesday. Passenger stations in all parts of the province also remain closed, except those in the cities of Dalian and Dandong.

Solid efforts are underway to clear snow from transport routes in a bid to ensure transportation security and safeguard people's livelihoods. Shenyang has mobilized approximately 24,000 people, with over 2,000 sets of machinery and equipment running at full steam to clear the expressway.

The cold wave has brought a significant drop in temperature in northeast China. By Tuesday, temperatures had plummeted by 10 to 14 degrees Celsius in most areas, and by more than 16 degrees Celsius in certain areas, compared to five days ago.

Weather departments in the Liaoning and Jilin provinces in northeast China have successively issued red alerts for snowstorms.

Amid public concerns over power shortages posed by the blizzard, local governments in north China have made all-out efforts to keep homes warm.

The average coal storage rate at Liaoning's heating enterprises is currently over 60 percent. The provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang are also working to increase their energy production capacities and increase coal imports.

To avoid vegetable price hikes influenced by the extreme weather, Shenyang has urged markets and grocery stores in the city to set the prices of several vegetables lower than the overall average and increase their supplies of vegetables.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system for snowstorms, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.