A strong cold air has brought heavy snowfall to parts of northwest China, prompting the China Meteorological Center to continue issuing a blue alert for blizzards on Saturday, mildest of China's four-tier blizzard warning system.
In Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, recent snowfall and falling temperatures have affected transportation and agricultural production.
Authorities in the region activated emergency response measures in advance, and as of Saturday morning most highways and major roads have remained open.
Sandstorms have also been reported in parts of central and northern Ningxia.
While the snowfall may temporarily delay spring farming activities, agricultural authorities say it could also help replenish soil moisture and improve conditions for seedling growth. Local authorities have also warned that prolonged snowfall could pose risks to agricultural facilities and livestock and have advised residents to reinforce structures and clear accumulated snow.
Meanwhile, heavy snow has also fallen in central and eastern Gansu, with blizzard conditions reported in some areas including Baiyin City since Friday evening. Traffic controls have been imposed on sections of the G22 Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway.
Road maintenance teams have carried out repeated snow-clearing operations, including spreading de-icing agents, while traffic police have increased patrols and issued travel safety reminders to ensure safe road conditions.
Heavy snowfall impacts traffic, agriculture in northwest China
Iran launched a new round of attacks as the United States and Israel continued striking multiple key targets across the country on Saturday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday afternoon it had launched the 49th round of Operation True Promise-4, targeting three U.S. military bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait with heavy missiles and drones.
Earlier that day, Iran launched the 47th and 48th rounds of the operation, striking Israeli sites and U.S. military bases across the region.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that the U.S. military carried out large-scale strikes on Iran's Kharg Island on Friday, adding that more than 90 military targets on the island were "successfully struck".
The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, while oil infrastructures were preserved, according to the CENTCOM statement.
Iran's Mehr News Agency reported Saturday that the situation on Kharg Island had been brought under control, adding that the island’s air defense system was restarted shortly after the strike and that the attackers failed to achieve their intended objectives.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that two senior officials of the Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command, Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, were killed in an airstrike on Tehran on Friday.
Israel also said that its air force had struck more than 200 infrastructure sites across western and central Iran in the past day, targeting dozens of ballistic missile launchers, including some loaded and ready to fire, as well as air defense systems, launch pads and weapons storage facilities.
Iran launches new attacks as US claims Kharg Island strike, Israel says two Iranian military officials killed
