BEIJING: As a cold snap grips the nation, local authorities have initiated emergency response measures to mitigate the impact of plunging temperatures and significant snowfall. Since Saturday, strong winds and heavy snow have affected the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Northeast China and North China, with temperatures dropping by 12 to 16 C in some areas.
The China Meteorological Administration activated a level-four emergency response on Monday to address the ongoing snowstorm, advising affected regions to adjust measures based on local conditions. In Heilongjiang province, snowfall prompted the local meteorological bureau to issue a red alert, the highest level in China’s four-tier warning system, and initiate emergency plans to reduce the impact of blizzards.
In Jilin province, sanitation workers have been clearing snow and ice from roads, deploying large snow removal equipment to ensure safe travel. Transportation departments have responded swiftly to road emergencies, assisting vehicles trapped in the snow and restoring traffic conditions using snowplows and police vehicles. As the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia approaches the ice jam season — when ice blocks the river, potentially causing flooding — the local water conservancy department has implemented preventive measures to remove obstructions and maintain water flow.
In Northwest China, meteorological, electricity and city management authorities have taken precautions to address emergencies caused by the season’s first cold wave.
In Lanzhou, Gansu province, the heating service department established 16 teams to inspect heating systems in residential areas, ensuring their functionality during the cold spell. By Saturday afternoon, they had repaired heating pipe explosions in 76 communities and buildings, according to Wang Shuchao, an official with the Lanzhou Heating Service Center. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
