Unseasonably frigid conditions and relentless blizzards descended upon the northeastern region of China on Monday, triggering a cascade of disruptions. Hundreds of flights were compelled to undergo rescheduling, while educational institutions were compelled to shutter their doors as several cities raised their weather alerts and issued stern advisories for residents to remain indoors.
With snowfall accumulating up to 25 centimeters, a staggering 90% of the expressway entrances in Jilin province found themselves in the grip of an enforced closure by 7 p.m., as reported by the state’s authoritative broadcaster, CCTV. Meanwhile, in Heilongjiang, the nation’s northernmost province, the local railway operator made the decision to suspend 51 passenger lines in the interests of safety.
A grim incident transpired in Heilongjiang’s Jiamusi city when a gymnasium collapsed, tragically entrapping three individuals within, including children, according to State-run Jimu News. The exact relationship between this catastrophe and the ongoing heavy snowfall remains uncertain; nonetheless, a rescue operation is currently underway.
The academic landscape in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, bore the brunt of these adverse weather conditions. Schools, kindergartens, and off-campus training institutions were initially suspended on Monday and will continue to remain closed on Tuesday, as reported by CCTV.
As the meteorological challenges persist, China’s national weather forecasting authority opted to reissue an orange-level blizzard alert, the second-highest tier within its color-coded warning system, at 6 p.m. This is due to the anticipation of further snowfall throughout Monday night into Tuesday in select areas of Jilin and Heilongjiang.
Earlier on Monday, data obtained from the third-party travel application Flight Master revealed a staggering 405 flight cancellations at Harbin Taiping International Airport, emblematic of the extensive disruptions wrought by this unrelenting winter assault.
