Frozen lines not affecting S China power supply

BEIJING - The coldest winter in 28 years has left parts of the power grids in South China frozen, but the overall electricity supply remains unaffected, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) said Monday.

The frozen power grids are mainly located in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces and Chongqing municipality, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, according to the SERC.

By Jan 6, 199 power lines operated by the China Southern Power Grid had been covered in ice. By Jan 5, 155 lines operated by the State Grid Corporation of China were frozen, and 6 of the company's lines reported operational glitches.

SERC said it has asked grid operators to remove the ice in a timely manner and ensure power supplies.

Persistent snow and icy weather is wreaking havoc across the country. The National Meteorological Center forecast that snow and rain will continue over the next few days, and a new cold front will hit the country on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain to South China.