East China's Anhui initiates emergency response for blizzard

HEFEI -- A level three emergency response for a blizzard was activated at 11:30 am Thursday in east China's Anhui Province, the provincial meteorological bureau has said. It is the second-lowest level in China's four-tier emergency response system.

According to the local meteorological station, a blizzard is expected to hit the province south of the Huaihe River from Thursday night to Saturday, with snowfall of up to 35 centimeters.

In response to the coming blizzard, local authorities are taking swift precautions in areas such as transportation, agricultural production and power.

In Hexian County, local agriculture authorities have issued disaster prevention and self-help manuals to guide farmers to use bamboo, wood and other materials to strengthen vegetable greenhouses.

To guarantee the power supply during snowstorms, railway authorities have coordinated with coal mining enterprises and power plants, increasing the transportation volume of coal to fully meet the demand of major thermal power plants.