Storm strands tourists at Great Wall, killing 3(2)

A spokesman for Beijing Capital International Airport said that, by 11:30 am on Sunday, 23 flights had been canceled and another five flights had been delayed by more than an hour. Flight schedules had returned to normal by 2 pm.

"We've been preparing for the work of de-icing the aircraft and the runway," said Qu Dong, a duty manager in the airport's operation control center. "The good news is the snow is not as heavy as expected, so it has not resulted in a large amount of flight delays."

In airport terminals, flight information has been broadcast around the clock, while bottled water, blankets and other supplies have been provided to stranded passengers, he said.

Qu said the airport will pay close attention to forecasts, which were calling for the weather to improve by Monday night.

Traffic authorities took temporary measures on several expressways that were severely covered by snow or rainwater, or roads with slippery surfaces.

Parts of the above-ground tracks used by trains on Line 13 of the Beijing subway system were blocked on Sunday by tree branches blown down by strong winds.

After four hours of emergency repairs, the fallen trees were removed from the line and trains began to run again, Beijing Subway Operation said.

The company also said emergency measures had been carried out in response to the snow since Saturday night. Nearly 4,000 kg of snow-melting agent have been used to get rid of the snow and ice.

Non-slip mats and caution signs have been installed at subway station entrances, and free plastic raincoats have been handed out to passengers, the company said.

Clearing the snow

Sanitation and maintenance workers have been working overtime to remove snow and sleet from Beijing's streets and repair the damage inflicted by the elements.

"All street cleaners have been ordered to work today (Sunday), even those who should be on leave," Wang Guilin, 47, who was working in Beijing's Chaoyang district. "We started at 6 am, and we're only given half an hour for lunch.

"We used the snow-melting agent to make a narrow way for people to walk. Now we are clearing the snow."

Wang's 52-year-old colleague, who gave his name only as Zhou, said: "I've been trying to put the snow into the sewer or around trees all morning. My shoes are soaked through and through."

Many broken tree branches and utility poles also need to be cleared away.

The bad weather is hitting residents' wallets. Lei Meng, a vegetable seller at Anzhenli community in Chaoyang district, confirmed reports that prices had risen slightly over the weekend.

"My vegetables arrived about two hours late today, and the price of some had gone up by 1 yuan ($0.16)."

One bright side to the cold front is that many cities in North China have decided to switch on their heating systems earlier than usual.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment fired up its boilers on Sunday instead of waiting until Nov 15, as it usually does. And Shenyang, Liaoning province, and Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, started theirs last week.