Snow delays flights, buses as cold front sweeps in

More than 130 flights were delayed or cancelled at Shanghai's two major airports Tuesday morning due to the snow that hit the city overnight.

Between 3 centimeters and 6 centimeters of snow had fallen in the city by 9 am, according to a press release from the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

More than 110 flights were delayed at Shanghai Hongqiao International and Shanghai Pudong International airports by 10:30 am, according to the Shanghai airport authority.

"Most of the delayed flights ended up departing by noon" said Tian Lu, a press officer from the Shanghai Airport Authority. "The runways at the two airports have been cleared."　

About 20 flights were cancelled, according to a report on the news website xinmin.cn.

"Four of the five international flights that were delayed at Hongqiao International Airport have taken off, but the last one won't depart until 7 pm," said Chen Tao, an official with the Hongqiao Airport Frontier Inspection Station.

In other weather-related transportation news, about 1,000 buses were delayed until 10:30 am at Shanghai South Long-distance Bus Station and Shanghai Intercity Bus Terminal, the Shanghai Evening Post reported Tuesday.

There were 2,249 car accidents reported from midnight to 9 am, the Xinmin Evening News reported.

The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau predicted Tuesday that the rainy weather will last until this weekend.