School children in Yantai, Shandong Province, were told to stay home again yesterday as another heavy snowstorm blanketed the city.

Yantai reported 5.8 centimeters of snow on Tuesday night. Combined with a previous storm, about 30 centimeters of snow was on the ground yesterday. In the neighboring city of Weihai, once a part of Yantai, the snow was 35 centimeters deep.

Both cities' meteorological bureaus issued a red warning - the most severe - due to the snow. They also raised a red warning for slippery road conditions due to ice and snow.

Meteorologists predicted more snow for both cities yesterday, but did not say how much.

Yantai Meteorological Bureau officials said the city has received the most snowfall since they started keeping records in 1961.

The city's education authority has canceled all classes at kindergartens, as well as at primary and middle schools in downtown areas. They said the weather will determine when classes resume.

There were also reports of thunder and lightning during the snowstorm on Tuesday.

(Xinhua News Agency December 22, 2005)