Snow or sleet also hit the provinces of Henan and Anhui, while rain soaked Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi and Yunnan provinces as well as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the National Meteorological Center.

This round of rain and snow will last for three days, according to the center.

The bad weather is a nuisance for the early birds who have embarked on their once-a-year Spring Festival travel for home.

The 40-day travel rush, which began a week ago, was a major event in China. Students, migrant workers and other passengers take trains, buses and planes to head home for the Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 8 this year.