BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's worst winter weather in five decades will continue over the next three days, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said on Wednesday.

    Heavy snow and sleet has paralyzed transport and coal shipments, and led to travelers cramming railway stations and airports. Power supply has been reduced in almost half of the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland.

    The havoc was chiefly caused by the long-lasting sleet, which resulted from warm and cold air currents clashing over south China, said CMA spokesperson Jiao Meiyan at a news conference in Beijing.

    The CMA was advising those in affected areas to stay home and reduce energy consumption during the holiday period of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.

    Over the next 10 days, the southwestern, eastern and southern regions will get more snow and sleet with freezing temperatures while the country's north will stay clear but windy, the CMA said.

    The snow struck as tens of millions began to head home to celebrate the major Chinese holiday starting Feb. 7, straining rail, air and road transport services as well as shipping.

    Crops in northern China may benefit from the abundant water and snowfall, while cash crops such as rape may suffer a poor harvest in the abnormally cold southern region, said Jiao.

    CMA experts suggested the central government should collect its strength to enhance construction of weather monitoring infrastructure, intensify cooperation between weather-related departments, and improve weather forecast veracity levels.

    According to Yu Xinwen, the CMA office head, China is planning to channel 1.96 billion yuan (272.4 million U.S. dollars) to improve its weather forecasting work in the next few years. The preliminary plan has already been proved by the State Council, China's cabinet.

China's Politburo meets on extreme weather

    BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is urging local authorities to regard disaster relief as the "most pressing task" and to make "all-out efforts" to ensure normal production and life in areas hit by unprecedented bad weather this month.

    The call came after a politburo meeting here on Tuesday, chaired by Chinese President Hu Jintao, which studied the effects and damage inflicted by icy rain and snowstorms and made plans for future relief work.  Full story

Premier Wen rushes to Hunan Province to direct disaster relief work

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) speaks by a loudspeaker to the stranded passengers at the Railway Station of Changsha in central China's Hunan Province on Jan. 29, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (1st L, front) shakes hands with a stranded passenger at the Railway Station of Changsha in central China's Hunan Province on Jan. 29, 2008. Wen Jiabao arrived in Changsha on Tuesday to help direct disaster relief work in the central Chinese province, which had been hit by appalling weather.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has rushed to Hunan to help with the central China province's disaster relief work following an unprecedented snowfall.

    Wen flew out of Beijing on Monday night but had to land at Tianhe Airport in neighboring Hubei Province because of the bad weather in Hunan. He then completed his journey by train and arrived in Changsha City, the provincial capital, on Tuesday morning. Full story

China allocates another $13.5 mln to aid snow-hit areas

    BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and Ministry of Finance on Tuesday allocated 98 million yuan (13.5 million U.S. dollars) to four rain and snow-hit provinces to help those affected.

    The two ministries have so far provided a total of 126 million yuan in financial aid to six provinces hit hard by icy rain and heavy snow. Full story

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