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Northeast China braves cold wave, snow storms

China

China

China

Northeast China braves cold wave, snow storms

2026-01-10 17:43 Last Updated At:01-11 13:04

Multiple provinces in northeast China have been experiencing significant snowfall and a sharp drop in temperature since Friday, with local governments swiftly mobilizing snow removal and de-icing operations to guarantee residents' safety.

In Heilongjiang Province, the city of Suifenhe experienced continuous snowfall starting at 23:00 Friday. By 11:00 Saturday, the cumulative precipitation reached 4.6 mm, with a snow depth of 6 cm. The severe weather resulted in slippery road conditions and reduced visibility, while temperatures dropped to -21 Celsius Degrees.

The local meteorological station issued a blue alert for cold waves, and police were deployed early Saturday to direct traffic, while sanitation workers operated brush vehicles and snow throwers to clear roads.

Elsewhere in northeast China, heavy snowfall and blizzards swept across Jilin on the same day. The provincial meteorological center issued blue alerts for both snowstorms and cold waves. In Baishan city, average snow depth exceeded 10 cm, leading to the suspension of 80 bus services across 27 routes. Road maintenance teams worked overnight to remove snow in order to ensure the smooth operation of national and provincial highways.

"In response to this heavy snowfall, our transportation department has comprehensively strengthened road condition inspections and snowfall monitoring, and promptly adjusted response measures. Currently, over 300 maintenance workers and large snow-clearing vehicles were deployed to clear snow on the highways, striving to clear the accumulated snow and black ice on the roads," said Ma Wencheng, head of maintenance section, Baishan City Highway Management Office.

Liaoning Province also experienced heavy snow from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning, with some areas like Shenyang and Dandong reporting blizzard conditions. Shenyang, the capital city of the province, activated a yellow alert for heavy snow, dispatching 19,300 sanitation workers and 3,427 pieces of snow-removal equipment. Currently, the snowfall had ended, and major roads and bridges in the urban area are operating normally.

In Benxi, an emergency response plan was also initiated by traffic police to address adverse weather conditions.

"We have set up temporary duty posts at key sections such as national and provincial highways, main urban roads, bridges, sharp bends and steep slopes where snow and ice tend to accumulate and where accidents frequently occur, to ensure the safe and orderly passage of vehicles," said Zhang Liang, a traffic police officer of Benxi City Public Security Bureau.

During this round of snowfall, 214 out of 277 meteorological stations in Liaoning precipitation, with an average snowfall accumulation of 3.2 mm.

Northeast China braves cold wave, snow storms

Northeast China braves cold wave, snow storms

China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.

The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.

Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.

Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.

The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.

Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.

"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.

China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth

China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth

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