ULAN BATOR, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Traffic restrictions were enforced in Mongolia's capital until noon on Sunday in response to heavy snow and blizzards, announced the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Saturday night.

Roads connecting the capital Ulan Bator to provinces such as Sukhbaatar, Khentii, Dornod, Dundgovi, Umnugovi, and Uvurkhangai have been closed during the specified period due to adverse weather conditions, the NEMA said in a statement.

Heavy snow, strong winds, and blizzards have affected the country from west to east since Thursday night, causing icy roads and poor visibility.

The agency urged citizens, especially nomadic herders and drivers, to take extra precautions against possible disasters.

Almost all provinces of Mongolia have experienced extreme weather known as "dzud" this winter, and over 80 percent of the country has been blanketed by snow, according to the country's weather monitoring agency.

Around 612,000 head of livestock have so far died in the extreme weather this winter.

Mongolia, one of the last nomadic countries in the world, has a harsh continental climate with frequent strong winds, snow and dust storms. Enditem

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