Heavy snow has killed 13 people in east China’s Anhui Province since January 3, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.
The snowstorms, considered the worst that the country has faced since 2008, have affected more than one million people in Anhui Province and has caused losses worth billions of yuan in the northwestern, eastern and central regions of the country, officials said.
Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu and Shaanxi provinces also suffered from heavy snow during the week, the report said.
China’s National Meteorological Centre has issued a “blue snowstorm alert” for Saturday and Sunday. A red alert is the most severe, and is followed by orange, yellow and blue. The observatory expects about 4 cm to 10 cm of snow in many parts of the country.
It has also advised residents to stay indoors and told local governments to take precautions regarding roads, railways, electricity and telecommunications.
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