Hot water freeze the moment it touches the cold air in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, on Thursday. [Photo/CFP]

Temperature in the coldest place drops to nearly -50 C

The temperature in Genhe city, located in northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, dropped to minus 47.8 degree Celsius on Thursday, nearing its historical record of minus 49.6 degrees. Genhe is dubbed as the coldest place in China.

On the streets of Genhe, icy fog clouds the city street and fish vendors can easily snap a frozen fish into two parts.

Passenger ships forced to stop

Sea gales in some sea areas are expected to up to force 11 from Friday night to Saturday.

In Maoming, Guangdong province, water disrupted traffic and high-speed passenger ships in some tourist spots were forced to stop to ensure safety.

Airport, highways closed

Starting from 8 am on Friday, highways in at least 12 provinces and municipalities have been closed due to blizzards and snowstorms.

The airport in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi, was closed Friday morning. Several sections of the highways in the province were also shutdown.