Snow blankets much of north as rain heads south

At least 90 segments of some 60 highways across China were closed in the early hours of Thursday because of ice and snow, the Ministry of Transport's highway monitoring and response center said.

Four airports, including Beijing Capital International, saw widespread delays of flights on Thursday, and at least a dozen more air transport hubs faced a string of flight cancellations, delays and closed runaways, according to flight information aggregator Variflight.com.

Travelers in China's southern, eastern and southwestern regions are being urged to take extra care on the roads, as persistent rain will create treacherous traffic conditions over the next few days.

Light to medium rainfall is forecast to affect Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces, Chongqing and other areas for a week.

Regions south of the Yangtze River and in southwestern China will be hit hardest by rain, with intense downpours forecast for early next week.

The authorities have urged commuters and travelers in these regions to beware of frosty roads and low visibility.

Fang, the chief forecaster, said the abundant precipitation in recent days is expected to ease the mild drought that has been affecting farming.