The Beijing weather office yesterday warned motorists of icy roads after the first snow this year blanketed the capital city.

Public transport services on five suburban routes were suspended because of the snow but there were no major traffic snarl-ups despite slippery road conditions.

Flights operated normally at Beijing Capital International Airport, according to its information center.

The city has experienced colder weather since January 9 although temperatures were higher than average since December, Xinhua reported.

Apart from Beijing, the northern and central parts of the country, such as Hebei, Henan and Hubei provinces, were also hit by snow.

But the Central Meteorological Observatory said the snow would stop in northern cities today. Fog and haze cover the Yellow River and Huaihe River valleys, according to the observatory.

In Wuhan, capital of Hubei, several water pipes burst in the morning because of freezing weather, leading to suspension of water supply to more than 10,000 residents.

(China Daily January 18, 2008)