Blizzards and extreme weather could disrupt China’s Lunar New Year travel

Snowstorms, freezing rain and heavy rainfall expected to affect much of the country during the holiday, also known as Spring Festival

The ‘complex’ conditions could have ‘significant impact’ on transport during the 40-day travel rush period, according to meteorological agency

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Railway workers clear snow from a bullet train in Nanchang in central China’s Jiangxi province on January 22. Chinese travellers are expected to make a record 9 billion trips during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:00am, 31 Jan 2024

Snowstorms and other extreme weather could disrupt transport for the hundreds of millions travelling across China during the Lunar New Year travel period, known as chun yun.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said on Tuesday that “complex” winter weather across the country, including rain and snow, could have “a significant impact” on transport during this year’s holiday travel period, which began on January 26 and will end on March 5.

Northern China, including the northeastern provinces of Jilin and Liaoning and the far western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, were hit by a blizzard on Tuesday, according to the CMA.

Meanwhile, parts of Zhejiang province in the east and Guangdong province in the south were blanketed by heavy fog.

According to the CMA, the worst is yet to come as northern China will continue to experience snowstorms, while areas further south along the Yangtze River will be hit by heavy rain starting on Wednesday.

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