A worker cleans snow on a road in Beijing's Chaoyang district, Dec 11, 2023. (DU LIANYI / CHINA DAILY)

ZHENGZHOU/BEIJING/JINAN - Blizzards across central China's Henan province forced closure of schools and suspension of flights in the provincial capital Zhengzhou on Monday morning, as the National Meteorological Center renewed blue warnings, the lowest of the four-tier level, for cold waves, across the country.

From late Sunday to early Monday, the precipitation at Zhengzhou station reached 14.2 mm within six hours, and the accumulated snow reached 10 cm, according to the city's weather station.

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Junior high schools, primary schools, and kindergartens in the city were suspended on Monday, while 22 flights were canceled at the Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, and related sections of 46 expressways were closed. 

Yonghegong, or the Lama Temple, is seen covered with snow, in Beijing, Dec 11, 2023. (GAO ZHIJIAN / CHINA DAILY)

Train operations, including many high-speed and inter-city trains, were also suspended, according to related authorities.

In Beijing, road, rail and air traffic were disrupted on Monday following snowfall from Sunday evening. 

A school playground covered with snow is seen in Huairou district, Beijing, China, Dec 11, 2023. (JIA TING / CHINA DAILY)

From 7 pm Sunday to 8 am Monday, snowfall in the city reached 5.8 mm on average. The largest precipitation was seen in Fangshan district, reaching 10.2 mm, according to data provided by the Beijing Meteorological Service.

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By 7 am Monday, over 180 bus routes in Beijing were suspended. The city has so far arranged about 63,000 workers and prepared over 6,600 vehicles and other equipment for snow removal and ice clearing of the roads.

People ride in snow in Beijing, Dec 11, 2023. (DU LIANYI / CHINA DAILY)

The Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, China, Dec 11, 2023. (KUANG LINHUA / CHINA DAILY)

Several trains departing from or passing through Beijing have been canceled for Monday. Speed restrictions have been enforced for trains traveling in both directions along the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway, leading to delays for some trains.

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A total of 65 flights had been canceled at the Beijing Capital International Airport by 12:27 pm Monday, and the overall operational order of the airport remained normal, according to the airport.

People walk in snow in Chaoyang district, Beijing, Dec 11, 2023. (KUANG LINHUA / CHINA DAILY)

While in Jinan, primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens have moved their classes online in response to the snowfall starting early Monday morning.

Snow and heavy wind began in the capital city of Shandong province during the small hours of Monday. From 3 am to 10 am, Jinan received a snowfall of 7 mm.

The education department issued the directive to conduct online classes on Monday, ordering a smooth transition in a bid not to disrupt schooling.

People walk in snow in Beijing's Changping district, on Dec 11, 2023. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

Snow-covered trees are seen at the Beijing Ming Dynasty City Wall Relics Park, in Beijing, China, on Dec 11, 2023. (WANG YU / CHINA DAILY)

According to the National Meteorological Center, from Wednesday through Friday, blizzards are expected in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan provinces.

Some areas have already seen more than 10 centimeters of added snow cover on Sunday, the center said.

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The weather will bring a significant drop in temperatures across several regions, including Northwest and Southwest China and parts of South China. Some areas may see a temperature drop of more than 14 degrees Celsius.

With Xinhua inputs