Bitter cold has stranded about 1,000 vessels in a layer of thick sea ice on Laizhou Bay in China’s Shandong province, reports the China Daily newspaper.
The ice expanded to 291 square km this week and is continuing to grow, said Zheng Dong, chief meteorologist at the Yantai Marine Environment Monitoring Center under the State Oceanic Administration.
According to aquafarmers, the ice may lead to heavy losses as farmers are unable to penetrate the ice to provide adequate ventilation for sea cucumbers and other aquatic organisms.
Coastal police have warned the ice may damage vessels passing through deeper sea areas near the Bohai and Yellow seas, in the northern East China Sea.
Since late November the country has endured an average of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees colder than the previous average, and the chilliest in 28 years, state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday, citing the China Meteorological Administration.
Meanwhile, heavy snowfall forced the closure of some sections of the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, the China Daily said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/05/china-weather-idUSL4N0AA0D820130105
H/T to Ice Age Now for the links.
