Hubei, Hunan see coldest winter in 100 years

China’s weather conditions remained bleak on Monday, with millions still stranded ahead of the Spring Festival holiday and certain parts of the country experiencing their coldest winter in a century, Reuters reported. Confirming that it has been 100 years since Hubei and Hunan provinces last saw so many consecutive days where the average temperature is less than 1 degree Celsius, Zheng Guoguang, head of the China Meteorological Administration said that brighter weather lay ahead, although fog could remain a problem. He advised people to remain on the alert, admitting that China had been caught off guard by the cold snap. Guangzhou continued to clear the backlog of travelers, having persuaded many migrant workers to skip the holiday, while other cities set about restoring power and water supplies. On Sunday, President Hu Jintao chaired his second emergency Politburo meeting in a week to discuss relief efforts.