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Heavy snow paralyzes cities' traffic
Updated: 2005-12-22 07:14
Blizzards, lightning and snowstorms hit Weihai and Yantai in the eastern
parts of the Shandong Peninsula on Tuesday and yesterday, bringing traffic to a
halt.
Local meteorological bureaus predicted the bad weather would last 3 or 4 days and have
issued a "red" warning - the most severe in the local weather warning system
for the snow - and another "red" warning for frozen road conditions.
A driver waits for change of traffic
light as heavy snow hit Weihai, East China's Shandong Province
December 21, 2005. [Xinhua] |
Yantai Meteorological Bureau officials said the snowy weather, which begun on
December 3, has resulted in the heaviest snowfall in the city's history since
1961 when it started keeping records.
According to sources from the two cities' transportation departments, the
past fortnight has witnessed a significant rise in traffic accidents, which
numbered 2,000.
Wang Xiuhuan, a nurse with Yantaishan Hospital in Yantai, said more than 120
people have been hospitalized in the past two weeks because of injuries
resulting from falls.
Yao Hongjian, a pig farmer in the suburbs of Weihai, is also a victim of the
heavy snow. "Dozens of my pigsties have been destroyed by the continuous snow,"
Yao said. "A pigsty used to hold a dozen pigs, but I have to pack more than 20
pigs in one."
Despite the havoc the snow has brought to the city, it has also been the
feature attraction for tourists. Since December, Weihai has received more than
10,000 domestic and foreign tourists.
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