Rain and snow dispel worries of drought in China

Rain and snow fell across China's eastern and central regions, with temperatures plummeting up to 10 degrees Celsius, easing severe drought that has plagued large areas of farmland in northern China, state media said on Saturday.

But snow has also paralysed traffic in Beijing, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.

"Rain and snow for today and tomorrow will be the strongest and the largest amount for this round of precipitation, playing a positive role in relieving long-lasting drought in parts of provinces of Henan and Anhui," a Chinese weather website quoted meteorological expert Li Xiaoquan as saying.

The ministry of agriculture said on Friday wheat areas affected by drought in eight major producing provinces dropped to 5.71 million hectares by Thursday, while severely-hit areas fell to 1.04 million hectares.

At the Beijing Capital airport, some 25 flights were cancelled, with 60 flights delayed for at least an hour, and highways were closed in Shanxi and Inner Mongolia due to snow.

The national meteorological center of China has forecast that regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shannxi, Shanxi, Hebei will face heavy snow, while Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui will experience heavy rain on Saturday. It also warned that freezing weather would cause icy roads across China.