Cold hits hard UK, China, U.S.

WASHINGTON: The life seems to have paralyzed in the U.S., China AND Britain, as the extreme cold weather keeps lashing even today, Geo News reported Wednesday. Millions of people living in southern England and the Home Counties were told to prepare themselves for up to 40cm (16in) of snow last night, as Britain remained in the grip of the longest prolonged spell of cold weather in 30 years. The Met Office issued its highest level of alert, warning of an impending "extreme weather event" that would bring travel chaos and threaten power supplies. Worst hit overnight will be Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire – parts of which have not seen any snow since the arctic weather began before Christmas. All flights in and out of London's Gatwick and Luton airports were canceled as workers rushed to clear snow from runways. Other airports across the U.K. -- including Manchester Airport, the John Lennon Airport in Liverpool and Southampton Airport -- also closed temporarily, while delays and cancelations hit many other international airports, including London's Heathrow. Forecasters said it would be snowing in London before dawn, bringing widespread disruption to the capital and forcing many workers to stay at home. Last night, all flights were suspended from Luton, Southampton, Gatwick and Birmingham airports. Much of the United States was confronting extremely cold weather that has brought freezing rain leading to rivers of ice and chilling floods in residential neighborhoods, while many agricultural areas try to help their crops survive through the season. In Illinois, ice jams on the Fox River in Illinois are causing the freezing water to spill into the streets and yards near East Dundee, resulting in particularly cold flood waters. Nearly a foot of ice surrounds some homes. Several families had to leave their homes, but some residents say they'll stick it out as long as they have power. Officials say the river rose faster than usual for this time of year. Meanwhile, farmers in several southern states including Louisiana are worried their profits and crops will plummet with the temperatures. A cold snap hit one strawberry farm right in the middle of its growing season and farmers strived to pick the strawberries that were ready, covering the ones that were not. Farmers are bracing for a long week with overnight temperatures below freezing. Below freezing temperatures have emergency experts in Texas standing by. The Salvation Army is gearing up in case they are needed. That organization has emergency service vehicles, like one in Lubbock, Texas ready to go. Beijing authorities shut schools, mobilized extra buses and ordered thousands of residents to help clear icy roads and paths with shovels on Monday, as the Chinese capital struggled with its harshest winter weather in years. North China began the working week after a blast of harsh cold and heavy snow blanketed the region over the weekend, paralyzing highways and forcing the cancellation of many flights. "Low temperatures and ice-covered roads are expected to severely affect local traffic on Monday," Song Jianguo, the head of the Beijing traffic management bureau, told a local news agency.