Blizzard closes schools and highways in NE China

A blizzard that swept through northeast China provinces for the third day on Monday forced schools and highways to close.

The education authority in Jilin, one of the worst hit provinces, told Xinhua that all kindergartens, primary and junior high schools were closed in the cities of Changchun, Jilin and Baishan, where snow was more than 10 cm deep.

"Students' safety is our top priority. Where the weather is not that bad, closure of schools is not mandatory," said Lu Lin, head of the school security office under the Jilin Provincial Department of Education.

The severe snowstorm, which started on Saturday, caused traffic jams in most northeastern cities on Monday morning. Frozen highways were closed and people were waiting at bus stops and taxi stands.

"I have been waiting for a bus for over half an hour, but there's no sign of a single bus or a taxi," said Liu Zhi, in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province.

Flights are operating at Changchun's Longjia International Airport.However, the airport issued a yellow alert and delays are expected as visibility dropped below 500 meters.

Meteorological observatories have issued warnings for heavier snow during the next 24 hours.