Snow hits north China

A cold bitter front with strong winds has gripped northern parts of the country, as Beijing embraces its first snowof the season. The sudden cold weather has caused the temperatures to plummet to minus 20 degrees Celsius, in some cities across the northeast.

In the Chinese capital, light snow started to fall just after midnight. By Sunday morning, the snow got heavier and lasted for much of the day. Road traffic was slightly affected. But more than 200 flights at Beijing International Airport have been postponed, leaving a large of number passengers stranded.

Not far from Beijing, Tianjin also saw its first snowfall of the year. By noon, over one centimeter of snow had covered some parts of the city. The cold front together with gale forced winds, dropped temperatures to minus four degrees Celsius.

Further north in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, temperatures dropped to nearly minus 20 degrees Celsius in some mountainous areas. Snow has prompted local farmers to set up more green houses to grow fruits and vegetables.

In the country's northeast, snowstorms covered Jilin Province, collapsing trees and disrupting flights. In Yanji city, more than five thousand hectares of cropland have been damaged by the blizzard.

The cold front is also being felt out at sea.

Strong winds forced hundreds of ships to stay docked in harbors of Bohai Bay. Shandong meteorological officials have even forecasted a seven to eight wind forces at sea. Currently, all passenger ships from Shandong's Yantai port travelling to Liaoning's Dalian, have been suspended.

To cope with the cold front, Chinese cities in the northeast have already started providing heating services to households. Local governments are also facilitating traffic flow, to ensure food is transported, preventing inflation.