THE China Meteorological Administration (CMA) early yesterday issued a red alert for severe snowstorms across central and eastern China, after the heaviest snowfalls in a decade stranded hundreds of thousands ahead of the Spring Festival.

Heavy snow was forecast to blanket northern Hunan, eastern Hubei, southeastern Henan, northwestern Zhejiang as well as most areas of Anhui and Jiangsu provinces yesterday, while some of the areas expecting snowstorms, according to the CMA.

Meanwhile, freezing rain is expected in areas of Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang.

The CMA warned local governments and departments to prepare for the coming bad weather.

Transportation, electricity and communication departments were advised to prepare to clean up after the storms.

It also suggested that citizens in these areas refrain from undertaking unnecessary outdoor activities.

The CMA’s weather warnings fall into four levels according to the severity and emergency status, with red being the most severe.

The snow, the worst in a decade in many places, has affected most of China since Jan. 12, leaving homes collapsed, highways closed and crops destroyed.

More than 77.86 million people in 14 provinces were affected and 24 died in weather-related accidents, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs yesterday.

The weather woes could not have come at a worse time, with millions of Chinese relying on the country’s transport system to get them home for the lunar New Year festival.

(SD-Xinhua)