Snow, sand wreak havoc in Xinjiang
Source: Xinhua |
March 21, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
XINJIANG Uygur Autonomous Region in China's far west has suffered a double blast of snow and sandstorm, causing chaos on the roads and in the air, local authorities said yesterday.
While the regional capital Urumqi and the northern prefectures of Ili, Altay and Tacheng experienced snow or sleet, a severe sandstorm hit at least four prefectures in southern Xinjiang, the regional weather bureau said.
At least two snow avalanches were reported yesterday in the Ili River Valley of northern Xinjiang, one in a village in Yining County and the other on a national highway.
The accidents buried about 200 sheep, toppled two houses and cut off road traffic. No casualties were caused because residents had been evacuated during last week's heavy snow, the Ili government said.
The Ili River Valley received a record volume of snow from October to March. Precipitation in the past six weeks alone has been 262 percent more than in previous years.
As of yesterday, 54,000 square kilometers of the 56,000-square- kilometer Ili Prefecture was covered with snow, the local weather bureau said.
Authorities warned residents to be alert for hazardous spring floods when the temperature climbs.
In sharp contrast to the snowfalls, a new round of sandstorms blasted southern Xinjiang yesterday. A sandstorm swirled in on the heels of a previous yellow dust wave that moved down to the Beijing-centered north China region on Friday night.
At least 14 flights were postponed, all regional services linking Urumqi with Hotan, Aksu, Kashi and Bayingolin, Urumqi airport authority said.
While the regional capital Urumqi and the northern prefectures of Ili, Altay and Tacheng experienced snow or sleet, a severe sandstorm hit at least four prefectures in southern Xinjiang, the regional weather bureau said.
At least two snow avalanches were reported yesterday in the Ili River Valley of northern Xinjiang, one in a village in Yining County and the other on a national highway.
The accidents buried about 200 sheep, toppled two houses and cut off road traffic. No casualties were caused because residents had been evacuated during last week's heavy snow, the Ili government said.
The Ili River Valley received a record volume of snow from October to March. Precipitation in the past six weeks alone has been 262 percent more than in previous years.
As of yesterday, 54,000 square kilometers of the 56,000-square- kilometer Ili Prefecture was covered with snow, the local weather bureau said.
Authorities warned residents to be alert for hazardous spring floods when the temperature climbs.
In sharp contrast to the snowfalls, a new round of sandstorms blasted southern Xinjiang yesterday. A sandstorm swirled in on the heels of a previous yellow dust wave that moved down to the Beijing-centered north China region on Friday night.
At least 14 flights were postponed, all regional services linking Urumqi with Hotan, Aksu, Kashi and Bayingolin, Urumqi airport authority said.
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