Severe snowstorms during Lunar New Year in China

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said on Tuesday that “complicated” winter weather across the country, including rain and snow, could have a “significant impact” on traffic during this year’s holiday travel season, which began on January 26 and will end on March 5.

Northern China, including the northeastern provinces of Jilin and Liaoning and the western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was hit by a snowstorm on Tuesday, according to the CMA.

Severe weather and storms during Chinese New Year, picture 1 — Railway workers clear snow from a high-speed train in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, central China on January 22. Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, many areas of Zhejiang province in the east and Guangdong province in the south were covered in thick smog.

The worst is yet to come as northern China will continue to be hit by snowstorms, while areas further south along the Yangtze River will be hit by heavy rain starting Wednesday, according to the CMA.

Hail is forecast to hit central and eastern China on Thursday and last for four days, the CMA said. Hail is also expected to hit parts of Henan, Hebei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hunan and Guizhou provinces, potentially affecting transportation, telecommunications and agricultural production.

The CMA said this year’s Lunar New Year weather could be the “most complicated” since 2008. A deadly winter storm that year killed 107 people, stranded more than 5.8 million passengers and disrupted essential needs such as water and electricity for more than 100 million people, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Beijing has repeatedly called for ensuring safety and social stability ahead of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, which falls on February 10.

The country's transport ministry said earlier this month that it expects to see a record 9 billion trips during the 40-day Chunyun travel period, considered the world's largest annual human migration.

Major travel companies have reported bookings that exceed pre-pandemic levels. Travel company Fliggy said on January 16 that hotel bookings through its platform were up 160% compared to the same period in 2019, with group travel up 34%.

Average prices for domestic flights have risen to their highest level since 2019, Tong Cheng Travel said earlier this month.

Mai Anh (according to CCTV, SCMP)

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