Severe snowstorms during the Lunar New Year in China.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said on Tuesday that “complex” winter weather across the country, including rain and snow, could “significantly impact” traffic during this year’s holiday travel period, which begins on January 26 and ends on March 5.

According to the CMA, northern China, including the northeastern provinces of Jilin and Liaoning and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the west, was hit by a snowstorm on Tuesday.

Railway workers clear snow from a high-speed train in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, central China, on January 22. Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, large areas of Zhejiang province in the east and Guangdong province in the south were covered in thick fog.

According to the CMA, the worst is yet to come as northern China will continue to experience snowstorms, while areas further south along the Yangtze River will face heavy rains starting Wednesday.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said hailstorms are forecast to hit central and eastern China on Thursday and last for four days. Hail is also expected in many provinces including Henan , Hebei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hunan, and Guizhou, potentially affecting transportation, telecommunications, and agricultural production.

The Central Weather Service (CMA) said this year's Lunar New Year weather could be the most "complicated" since 2008. A deadly winter storm that year killed 107 people, stranded more than 5.8 million passengers, and disrupted essential needs such as water and electricity for more than 100 million people, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Beijing has repeatedly called for ensuring social safety and stability ahead of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, which falls on February 10th.

The country's transport ministry said earlier this month that it expects to see a record 9 billion trips during the 40-day Spring Festival travel season, considered the world's largest annual human migration.

Major travel companies have reported bookings exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Travel company Fliggy said on January 16 that hotel bookings through its platform had increased 160% year-on-year in 2019, with group travel increasing 34%.

The average price for domestic flights has risen to its highest level since 2019, according to Tong Cheng Travel earlier this month.

Mai Anh (according to CCTV, SCMP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-tuyet-va-thoi-tiet-khac-nghiet-trong-dip-tet-nguyen-dan-o-trung-quoc-post283131.html