1.15 Billion People to Travel Amid Rain, Snow, and Freezing Weather During Spring Festival
The first six days of the Spring Festival in 2024 will see more than 1.15 billion people traveling, despite the unfolding process of rain, snow, and freezing weather across central and eastern China. The adverse weather conditions are expected to have a significant impact on transportation and people’s livelihood in many areas leading up to the holiday.
Zhai Yu, a meteorological analyst at the China Meteorological Administration, described this year’s Spring Festival rain and snow weather as the most complicated since 2009. Heavy snowfall has already spread across Henan on the night of January 31, with freezing rain impacting traffic in northern Anhui on February 1.
According to Yu, the ongoing process includes rain, snow, freezing rain, or ice particles, which will determine the level of intrusion of warm and moist airflow. The weather phenomenon may lead to slippery roads, transportation delays, and power outages as frozen wires could cause transmission line failures and affect the operation of railway transportation.
The freezing rain is expected to expand rapidly from eastern Guizhou, western and northern Hunan to southern Shandong and large areas of northern Jiangsu. The experts project that in some places, the thickness of the freezing rain may exceed 20 mm, posing a considerable hazard for travelers. To mitigate these risks, experts recommend installing anti-skid chains on tires and wearing shoes with the best anti-skid performance.
Yan Daozheng, deputy director of the Flood Prevention and Drought Relief Department of the Ministry of Emergency Management, highlighted the importance of strengthening consultation, research, and prevention and response measures. He urged relevant authorities to focus on ensuring the safety of Spring Festival transportation, power supply, and people’s livelihood while preparing emergency rescue forces and strictly preventing accidents.
In response, the Office of the National Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief Committee and the Ministry of Emergency Management launched a level IV emergency response to low-temperature rain, snow, and freezing disasters in several provinces. Multi-department joint working groups were dispatched to the affected areas to guide prevention and response work.
Moving forward, the authorities will continue to closely monitor the weather and provide guidance to key provinces and relevant departments. They will organize snow clearing and ice removal, ensure power supply, and allocate emergency rescue and disaster relief materials and equipment to protect the safety of the people and minimize the impact on transportation and people’s production and life during the Spring Festival.
Despite the challenges posed by the adverse weather, authorities are working diligently to ensure a safe and smooth Spring Festival travel season for all.