No extreme weather expected during holiday

China is expected to experience fluctuations in temperatures but no large-scale disastrous weather during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, meteorological experts said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Zhang Hengde, deputy director of the National Meteorological Center, said that temperatures in most areas of the country will rise first and then drop, and average temperatures will be higher than normal. Experts don't expect any widespread rain, snow or freezing weather, nor any persistent fog and haze during the holiday.

"From Chinese New Year's Eve to the fourth day of the lunar year, China will experience sunny and cloudy weather with a significant rise in temperatures in most areas," said Zhang, adding that temperatures in central and eastern China will increase by 4 to 10 C.

He said that gusts of cold air are expected to affect central and eastern China toward the end of the holiday. From Feb 14 to 17, or from the fifth day to the eighth day of the lunar calendar, some areas in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Heilongjiang province will experience temperature drops of 10 to 12 C, while others will see declines of over 14 C. The eastern part of northeast China will experience moderate to heavy snow during the period.

Though the recent round of snow and freezing rain will end on Feb 8, special attention should be paid to the potential risks of secondary disasters brought about by rising temperatures and melting snow and ice in provinces such as Hubei, Hunan and Anhui, Zhang said.

Though weather conditions will not have a major impact on road traffic during the holiday, Pei Shunqiang, deputy director at the China Meteorological Administration's public meteorological service center, warned motorists to be mindful of rainy and snowy weather in the northeast.

According to the Ministry of Transport, many people will start returning to work at that time, so more people are expected to be on the roads that day.

Pei said that owners of new energy vehicles should charge their cars in advance, and energy departments should strengthen inspections of electrical facilities and guarantee that power supplies are stable.

Zhang also warned of the potential risks of intermittent fog or haze to travelers in North China, the Yellow River-Huaihe River region and the coastal areas of South China during the holiday.

Due to global warming and the El Nino phenomenon, China has experienced higher temperatures and more extreme climate conditions in recent years.

The country's average temperature last year was 10.71 C, 0.82 C higher than normal and the highest since 1951. Floods and droughts were prominent, though last year's precipitation level was the second lowest since 2012, according to the annual China Climate Bulletin that was issued by the China Meteorological Administration on Wednesday.