Weather forecasters are warning motorists in north China that 24 highways will probably be affected by heavy fog on Thursday.

Forecasts from the Central Meteorological Station and the Ministry of Communications show the fog could affect the express highways linking Beijing and Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin, Beijing and Harbin, Qinghai and Yinchuan as well as Beijing and Zhuhai.

Sections of another 16 national highways mostly in Hebei, Jilin, Shandong and Liaoning provinces could also be affected.

The fog will continue in north China until a south-moving cold front arrives on Friday. Visibility will be less than 1,000 meters in Beijing, Tianjin, central and southern Hebei, northern Shandong, northern Henan and central Liaoning. In some areas, heavy fog will reduce visibility to less than 500 meters.

Forecasters said by 8:00 PM Thursday, snow flurries, moderate snow or sleet were possible in parts of western Xinjiang, eastern parts of northwest China, northwestern parts of north China and most of Hubei Province.

Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, eastern Yunnan and most of south China will see rain or snow. Parts of Guizhou will see freezing rain.

In the next three days, a strong cold front will bring down temperatures on the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and north China.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2007)