2011-02-27 15:21

BEIJING - A new round of cold spell has hit China's central and eastern provinces and will continue in the coming week, bringing strong wind, sleets and temperature drops, the national meteorological authority said here Sunday.

Northeast, central and southeast China, and parts of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Tibet autonomous region, are expected to experience sleets and snowfalls from Sunday to Wednesday, said the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

There could be heavy snow, or even snowstorms in the southwestern part of Xinjiang, the CMA warned.

The late-winter freeze will lead to a temperature drop of 4 C to 6 C and strong wind ranging from 20 kilometers to 49 kilometers per hour in these regions, it said. In some places, the temperature drop could hit 8 C to 10 C.