国内英语新闻:Smog continues in north and east China, snow to hit west

BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Sunday forecast that some northern and eastern parts of the country would be shrouded in smog in the coming days while snow will hit western regions.

Thick smog will envelop northern and eastern areas including Hebei and Shandong provinces until Thursday, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

From Sunday night to Monday morning, thick fog will be seen in the provinces of Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Hubei, reducing visibility in some areas to less than 200 meters, the NMC said.

From Sunday night to Tuesday, snow will hit west China's Tibet, Qinghai and Gansu, while rain will soak the south from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Bad weather could disrupt traffic after the Spring Festival holiday when many people are returning to work after the break.

China's Spring Festival travel rush started from Jan. 21 and will last till March 1.