China
Cold fronts sweep across China
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Source: CCTV.com | 12-22-2008 13:41
Sunday marks the day of "Dongzhi" or the winter solstice known as the 22nd solar term of the Chinese calendar. The day traditionally ushers in the coldest days of winter. Over the weekend, "Dongzhi" lived up to its reputation bringing snow and freezing temperatures to northern and western China.
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People wait for buses on a snow-covered road in Penglai of |
Beijing experienced the coldest day of this winter so far, on Sunday. The temperature dropped to minus 12 degrees Celsius during the night and recovered to minus 8 degree Celsius by noon. The usually crowded streets in the city over the weekend were nearly deserted as the frigid weather kept many people at home.
But the situation was different in the neighboring city of Tianjin. The first snow of this winter drew residents outside, despite the coldness.
Meanwhile, all flights were cancelled at Tianjin Binhai International Airport since the city was blanketed by snow. The snow also delayed most of the shuttle trains linking Beijing and Tianjin... and also sealed off many highways in and around the city.
On early Sunday morning, snow hit many parts of Shandong Province, causing highways to close and flight delays. The coastal city of Yantai experienced snowfall of up to nearly 10 centimeters. The city mobilized 2,000 people to help clear the snow from the streets. It also dispatched 300 snow-clearing machines using 500 tons of snow melting material.
