China sounds blizzard alert, holiday travel disrupted

China today issued a blizzard alert for central and eastern regions, disrupting travel plans for millions seeking to return to work after family reunions during the Spring Festival holiday.
China's meteorological authority issued a yellow alert for blizzards that are expected to sweep through Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu and Hubei provinces till tomorrow.
Snow on the ground in some regions could be as thick as 16 cm, leading to icy roads, the National Meteorological Centre said.
According to the centre, snowstorms could linger until Friday in some eastern and central regions, the centre said in a statement.
China's meteorological disaster alerts are categorised as blue, yellow, orange and red, with red being the most severe and blue the least.

The blizzard follows a cold front that has hit the regions and brought temperatures down by as much as 18 degrees Celsius, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
All highways in four major cities in northern Hebei province and most highways in central Henan province have been closed as icy and slippery roads pose safety risks, it said.
The week-long Spring Festival, the most important traditional holiday in China, will end tomorrow and tens of millions of people will return to work from their hometowns.