Winter weather updates

After a brief reprieve, it's now snowing in earnest again. China's disastrous winter weather has already killed at least 60 people nationwide.

The central government has tapped into its emergency pork reserves, and will release 18,000 tons before the lunar new year on February 6.

The hardest-hit province appears to be Hunan, with Chenzhou city going into its eighth day without electricity. Food and petrol in that city of 4 million are running low. The Central Meteorological Authority's website forecasts indicate more snow and sub-zero temperatures there for the next two days.

The SCMP reports that massive traffic jams around Nanjing are preventing supplies like fuel from entering the city. As a result, some stations are rationing fuel to 30 liters per car. Some taxis are charging up to three times the usual fare because of the fuel shortage.

Shanghai has shut down its port, leaving 1,000 ships stranded. According to Bloomberg, the storms could continue until the end of next week.

However, the Central Meteorological Authority's forecasts on its website indicate that Shanghai should be clear of snow, although still cloudy, tomorrow and on Monday.