More than 1.4 million people in eastern China's Anhui Province were suffering from freezing precipitation that disrupted spring farming and power supply, according to the local authorities.

Temperatures plummeted to below zero degrees Celsius from a high of 20 degrees Celsius registered in the first half of last month after a strong cold front lingered over part of the region in mid-February, leaving precipitation to freeze when it hit the ground, according to the province's meteorological station.

Floods, hailstones and landslides began to hit a number of cities in late February and six counties were badly hit by freezing rain, according to the provincial civil affairs administration.

Nearly 700 houses collapsed and more than 4,100 were damaged, while about 63,900 hectares of agricultural and economic crops were inundated or frozen, inflicting 827 million yuan (about 120 million U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses as of Tuesday, the administration said.

"Most of my bamboo was crushed as ice kept accumulating and no one will buy it," said Zhang Wei, a bamboo grower in Meijiagang village. Bamboo harvesting could earn about 6,000 yuan a year before, but nothing this year, said Zhang.

Fang Jinlan, who grows tea trees and bamboo in Luoerling village, said his economic losses would be around 10,000 yuan this year.

Freezing precipitation also disrupted power supplies, communication and transport in mountainous villages.

More rain was forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.

Local government staff were relocating affected people and workers were repairing damaged infrastructure.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2009)