Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Tuesday called for nationwide efforts to ensure sufficient supply of living necessities as the country was severely hit by harsh winter weathers over the past month and was expecting another round of cold wave.

He urged meteorological authorities to closely follow weather changes so as to provide accurate weather information for the public and facilitate the government in making relevant decisions.

Disaster-relief funds and materials should be distributed in time, and people in disaster-hit areas should be provided enough food and clothes.

He underscored the importance to protect crops and livestock and called for improved measures against ice-jam flood in the Yellow River and secondary disasters such as floods triggered by melting snow.

Efforts should be made to ensure smooth transportation and distribution of materials and equipment, he said.

Heavy winter snow has delayed flights, closed highways and caused casualties in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and north Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the past few days.

The National Meteorological Center has forecasted another round of cold wave in the coming days, and most parts of China were expected to see snow, rain and temperature drops.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2010)