URUMQI, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Extreme weather in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Friday snarled transport and harmed agriculture and animal husbandry across the region, the local meteorological department said.
Cold temperatures and heavy fog hit Altay Prefecture and Urumqi, capital of the region. Visibility in the city and surrounding areas fell to 500 meters, with the lowest just 100 meters.
As of 3 p.m., 29 flights were canceled and 89 more delayed at Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, leaving more than 6,000 passengers stranded.
Some sections of the freeway connecting Urumqi and Kuitun, the first expressway in Xinjiang, linking three economic and technological development zones of the region, had also been impacted by bad weather.
Northern Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili was swept by rains and snow. Fierce gales, moving from about 62 kilometers to 102 kilometers per hour, battered Karamay, Turpan and Hami cities.
The regional meteorological department said that rainfall and snow would continue until Saturday morning in northern Xinjiang. Most sections of road in these areas and mountainous areas will also be affected by rain and snow.
