Heavy fog moved into the eastern province of Shandong overnight, closing parts of highways and delaying flights on Wednesday, a local official said.

Jinan International Airport in Jinan, the provincial capital, and sections of highways were still closed at midday Wednesday, the official said.

The fog delayed 22 flights and three others were canceled, the official said.

Heavy fog shut down the Jinan and Huashan station on the highway that links Jinan and Qingdao, a coastal city in the province, as well as two stations on the Jinan ring highway.

The fog interrupted a string of clear weather on Tuesday night, the official said. Heavy fog covered southwest and central Shandong while light fog drifted into other areas.

The fog is expected to last till Wednesday night, the official said.

Separately, gales are predicted to stop sea transportation between Yantai of Shandong and Dalian of Liaoning Province, from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the Yantai Maritime Safety Administration.

(Xinhua News Agency, March 13, 2008)