Snow forecast as city prepares for new cold snap

As Beijing residents prepare for more snow this weekend, the local heating office said all boilers should be in operation from today.

The China Meteorological Administration forecasted Monday the new cold front will last from Saturday until Nov 10. And Beijing will see more snow and drizzle this weekend.

The cold front that froze Beijing on Sunday was the strongest in the last 40 years to occur in October, the administration said.

"Even if the temperature rises, the heating supply won't stop. We will just lower the heating temperature to keep the facilities working," said Guo Wenqi, director of Beijing heating office of the municipal administration committee.

Guo told METRO yesterday that up to 70 percent of the boilers in Beijing had already started, affecting 50 percent of all public houses and buildings.

He added that primary and middle schools, kindergartens, and nursing homes were considered as key areas and most were now heated, adding that remaining boilers should be started today.

"We have an internal list of the heating companies which haven't provided heating yet. We will visit them one by one and help them to resolve their problems," Guo said.

The current cold front, which brought snow and icy weather to the capital, will end today and the temperature in Beijing will now increase slowly, the Beijing Times reported.

"I touched the heating pipe this morning. Though the forecast said the temperature would rise, I couldn't help trembling when I took a shower," said Pan Xiaona, a middle school teacher living in Chaoyang district.

The latest data from the municipal heating service hotline showed that until last weekend, complaint calls about heating numbered 587, up 69 percent from last week.

But Guo said despite the heating supply being brought forward by half a month, the community don't need to worry about additional fees.

"The fees for advanced heating will be subsidized by our government," he said.