BEIJING - Freezing temperatures closed fishing harbours in eastern China and high winds stranded travellers in the northwest of the country as a cold front followed record-breaking blizzards this week, officials said Friday.
Continuing harsh weather has hampered rescue efforts for some 1.6 million people affected this month by record-breaking storms in western China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Four storms in January have killed at least five people, injured more than 600 and damaged 100,000 homes in Xinjiang.
About 4,000 travellers were stranded after strong winds shut down highways in Xinjiang's northwestern districts of Altay and Tacheng on Thursday, according to a Xinjiang government spokeswoman surnamed Zhao.
"We expect roads to be safe for travel once the weather warms up by the end of the week," Zhao said.
Temperatures dropped this week to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 43 Celsius) in some areas of northern Xinjiang hit with the worst snow in 60 years, Zhao said.
Ice has halted fishing and shipping services, with losses totalling $146 million for the fishing industry along the coast of Hebei and Shandong provinces, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.
Parts of northern China have seen the harshest winter in decades, with Beijing earlier this month receiving its heaviest one-day snowfall in 59 years.
