Dense fog enveloped parts of China yesterday, disrupting local flights and highway traffic during peak passenger flow before the Lunar New Year.

Flights at the Tianhe Airport in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, were suspended for hours as the fog reduced visibility to less than 100 meters early yesterday morning.

All the freeways linking Wuhan to adjacent areas were temporarily closed, said traffic officials.

The fog dispersed after noon but was forecast to return tomorrow.

Traffic departments and residents have been advised to pay attention to traffic security.

A section of expressway connecting Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China, to neighboring Chongqing Municipality was closed as visibility was only 50 meters.

Fog also caused closure of a highway section in Jiangxi Province, east China, for three hours.
Vehicles created a 100-kilometer backup on the road, which links the provincial capital of Nanchang to Jiujiang.

The freeway reopened before noon as fog dispersed.

China is experiencing its annual peak passenger flow before the Spring Festival, a time of family reunions, which falls tomorrow this year.

Railways and freeways are the main means of transport for most Chinese on the mainland to return home or travel.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2006)