Multiple northern parts of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were hit by heavy snowfall and strong winds on Wednesday, disrupting traffic and prompting the activation of emergency responses.
In Xinjiang's Altay region, snowfall and low temperatures triggered a yellow alert for snow and an orange alert for icy road conditions on trunk lines of national and regional highways in Jeminay County, particularly the Burqin-Jeminay Highway.
Due to slippery road conditions and poor visibility, the traffic administration authorities of Jeminay County imposed temporary two-way traffic control on the Burqin-Jeminay Highway starting from 00:00 on Thursday.
China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for snowtorm, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Snow and strong winds also swept through Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang, on Wednesday night. Local traffic administration authorities deployed police officers at the hardest-hit section around the Wulabo North Toll Gate on G30 National Expressway which runs through the area to direct traffic and warn drivers about road safety.
The regional meteorological department said the snowfall is expected to continue through Saturday, with temperatures set to drop further.
Heavy snow blankets parts of northwest China's Xinjiang, disrupting traffic
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that it had struck four "violating" ships in the Persian Gulf in recent hours, while three other "offending" vessels caught fire after hitting naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday night.
The four targeted ships, which had crossed an "illegal" route in the strait, were detected and hit in the northern central Gulf while engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer of oil cargoes, the navy said in a statement released by the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.
All four vessels were targeted simultaneously and set on fire, it said, adding that maritime companies had been warned against crossing "illegal" routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
The navy said the three vessels that struck naval mines the previous night caught fire and were forced to stop.
It added that the U.S. government's insistence on inciting ships to pass through the "illegal and mined" route had led to a daily increase in maritime incidents, warning that if the U.S. military continues to do this, the confrontation could extend to its bases in the region.
The navy said its forces still manage and control the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
Iranian military says seven "violating" vessels caught fire in waters around Hormuz Strait
