Cold snap brings the coats back out

Min Yuqiu, a Weather China analyst, said that the cold front bringing the rain and snow should not be considered particularly powerful.

"It's happened because the country had been heating up faster than normal for the first two weeks of March. By March 15, temperatures in many cities were above 20 C. As the cold air met the warm, this has been the result. In the coming week, temperatures in most parts of China will drop and be cooler than normal for this time of the year," she said.

The National Meteorological Center warned that departments of transportation, electricity and communication should inspect and maintain roads, railways and power transmission lines.

People are advised to reduce outdoor activities and farmers to reinforce structures such as scaffolding that could easily be crushed by snow, and to keep livestock indoors for feeding.