Yunnan still fighting bad weather

While most of the winter storm-hit areas are recovering, Yunnan province in southwest China is still suffering from bad weather. Sleet and freezing temperatures are threatening coal supplies, electricity and transport in the second largest city in the province.

Low temperatures and sleet have frozen and short-circuited many power transmission lines. And Cables have broken under the weight of ice built up around the lines. Qujing is a key industrial center in the province and an artery for power transmission. Electrical workers are busy repairing the lines and carrying out inspections to prevent accidents.

Snow and ice have shut down highways. Traffic police have been trying to clear the roads as soon as possible and supplementing news broadcasts with text messages to warn drivers which routes are closed.

Tobacco is a major source of income in the region, and Qujing is the largest flue-cured tobacco producing area in the country. Local governments have set up a special committee to protect seedlings from the bad weather. And the city's tobacco company has set aside 20 million yuan to ensure the tobacco harvest.