Journey home in the rain

The weather has taken an unfavourable turn, bad news for those making the long journey home for their Spring Festival family reunion. In south China's Guangdong Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, unexpected drizzle has caused a number of motorbike accidents.

For motorcyclists travelling on national highway 321 in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, rain has made an already difficult journey worse.

Slippery conditions have caused several bad pile-ups on the highway. The medical stations along this stretch of highway have been quite busy. Between 8 and 11am on Monday morning, the medical point at the east exit of the highway had already treated seven motorcyclists.

"The car before me skidded and I didn't hit the brakes fast enough. I've seen more than a dozen drivers involved in accidents today."

Fortunately, the majority suffered only minor bruises.

Deng Huhua, volunteer of National Highway 321, said:"First we disinfect the wound, then we bind it. But those with deeper wounds have to get a tetanus shot at a nearby hospital."

For those involved in accidents, things are not looking pretty. Some of the motorbikes have oil tank leaks and others have smashed rearview mirrors. The police say driving too fast and braking too sharply are the main causes of the accidents.

They're advising bikers to maintain speeds of below 60 km/h. By noon on Monday, the number of motorbikes crossing from Guangdong Province to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was more than 100-thousand.

Due to the rain, there's been a temperature drop of between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius in the region. But some resourceful drivers were prepared for the wet and cold.

"I made these waterproof boots by sticking adhesive tape around my shoes."

In anticipation of the first rainfall expected after the Spring Festival Rush, service stations in Guangxi have put on extra services. Basic essentials and supplies, such as hot water, instant noodles and milk powder will all be available for free.