As millions of people in China journey home to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, severe weather conditions have created chaos across central, eastern, and southern regions of the country.
Freezing rain, snow, and ice have led to major traffic disruptions, particularly in southern Hunan and central Hubei provinces.
Highway traffic has slowed to a crawl, hundreds of trains have been canceled or delayed, and flights have faced interruptions due to the severe weather. This disruption coincides with the world’s largest annual mass migration, as people travel home to reunite with their families for the Chinese New Year, which officially begins on February 10.
Videos shared on Chinese social media depict passengers stranded on trains and stuck in cars on snowy highways in various cities. Some travelers were trapped for extended periods, with one individual reportedly stuck in a car for three days. Passengers on a train to Wuhan experienced hours of delay due to power loss amid freezing temperatures.
The challenging conditions have prompted frustration among residents, with some taking to social media platforms to share their experiences. “This weather in Wuhan can drive you crazy, you have to walk 20,000 steps every day to get to work, and then you get home and the power goes out because the wires are down,” one user complained on social media platform Weibo.
Hundreds of trains were either delayed or suspended, leading to overcrowded railway stations in Wuhan.
In addition to transportation issues, freezing rain has caused damage, including the collapse of awnings in farmers’ markets, resulting in at least two fatalities in Hubei and Hunan. The China Meteorological Administration reported fallen trees blocking roads in Hunan due to freezing rain, leading to the closure of approximately 129 highway sections in ten provinces.
The adverse weather is expected to persist for several more days, with several cities upgrading their weather advisories and emergency response plans. Provinces like Hubei are taking measures to clear ice from power lines and address issues with tunnels and bridges affected by thick ice.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, along with two other government departments, has dispatched 20,000 disaster relief items, including thick quilts, to Hunan. Highway toll stations in affected areas have been instructed to implement traffic control measures, including allowing vehicles to pass without charge.
To support snow and ice removal efforts on highways, China’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport have allocated 141 million yuan (US$19.6 million) to 11 provinces and municipalities. While rain, snow, and freezing weather are expected to continue in southern regions for the first half of the week, conditions are anticipated to improve starting this week, according to the China Central Meteorological Observatory.
