Heavy snow disrupts traffic in parts of China

Heavy snow hit central and eastern China, causing delays and cancellations to trains and flights and triggering accidents on the roads.

Beijing Railway Administration canceled several trains from Beijing to Shanghai and cities in Anhui, Fujian, Henan, Shaanxi and Zhejiang on Thursday. Passengers can claim refunds on train tickets within 30 days.

The snow also caused cancellations and delays to flights. Around 30 percent of flights were delayed or canceled on Thursday afternoon.

In Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, around 110 inbound and outbound fights were canceled. Other airports including those in Hangzhou and Nanjing are in similar situations.

Road traffic was disrupted by heavy snow and ice from Wednesday to Thursday on a section of road at the border of east China's Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.

A large number of cars, over 1,000 at the peak, were stranded on the road near the border of Anji and Ningguo, causing congestion stretching over 10 kilometers.

In Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, some 20 cars were badly damaged in a rear-end accident on an expressway in the city on Wednesday night.

Power supply companies in the province have been cleaning the electric wires to ensure no blackouts occur during rain and snow.

China's national observatory upgraded its snowstorm warning to the second highest level on Thursday.

Ten to 20 centimeters of snow is expected in parts of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shanghai and Zhejiang on Thursday and Friday.