More China Snow Forecast, La Nina May Be a Partial Cause

WMO: La Nina may be partial cause of S China's freeze-up

www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-12 10:13:08 Print

GENEVA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) --

The current La Nina weather phenomenon may just be a partial cause of south China's freeze-up at the start of 2008, said the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Monday.

The latest La Nina pattern, which began in the third quarter of 2007, has picked up strength in the past three months, with sea surface temperatures now about 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius colder than average over large parts of the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean, said the latest report issued by the WMO.

Presenting the Geneva-based body's report, Rupa Kumar Killi, a WMO climate expert, said the recent month-long snow and ice-storms in China's central, southern and eastern regions could be connected with the La Nina phenomenon, the climatic opposite of El Nino.

However, he said China's freeze-up was a result of several causes combined and was partly caused by a cold surge from the north and west.

He also said the present La Nina cycle may last at least until mid-2008 and it is also possible, if less likely, that the cycle could stretch into the third quarter.

La Nina is a large pool of unusually cold water in the equatorial Pacific that develops every few years and influences global weather. It is the climatic opposite of El Nino, a warming of the Pacific, and both have been associated with extreme weather around the globe.

Since Jan. 10, snow, sleet and low temperatures have swept China's southern regions, a rare occurrence for the area.

More snow forecast as China gears up for post-holiday travel peak

www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-11 21:39:18

BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) --

China's transport authorities are gearing up for the post-Lunar New Year holiday travel peak on Tuesday amid forecasts of fresh snow.

Most of south China would see moderate snow and rain in the next three days, while sleet and snow were expected for the already hard-hit southwestern province of Guizhou, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said Monday.

It warned the icy weather could cause problems during the travel peak.

The number of passengers surged in major railway and bus stations on Monday as millions of people journeyed back to work.

The State Council called on travelers to adjust their plans to avoid the peak on Monday. Roads should be cleared to ensure safety in the event of rain and snow.

The Ministry of Railways had 264 extra trains on standby to tackle the travel peak and 191 trains from northeast China were heading for the central Wuhan, Nanchang and Chengdu cities from where most migrant workers depart.

Major railway stations had opened more ticket booths for 24-hour sales to cope with the peak, according to the ministry.

The railways carried 3.99 million passengers on Sunday, 480,000more than a day earlier, according to ministry figures.

The post-Spring Festival railway transport peak saw more than five million passengers in one day last year and more were expected this year, said a ministry spokesperson.

The travel rush began to hit China's roads on Monday, with 44.6 million people traveling by bus, an increase of 16.5 million from the previous day, the Ministry of Communications said Monday.

Transport authorities have prepared more than 700,000 buses to deal with the rush. More windows and longer opening times had been arranged to allow easier ticket purchases.

About 80 percent of inter-provincial bus lines had resumed after snow and icy weather caused severe disruption last week. No passengers had been reported stranded, said the ministry.

The travel rush comes as China's transport systems are creaking back to life after freak cold and ice storms hit swathes of the country, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing at least 70 people.

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