The central, eastern and southern parts of China will receive mainly cloudy and overcast skies in the coming week.

According to forecasts from the Central Meteorological Station on Friday morning, the overall temperature in most parts of the country will start to rise.

The forecast is a relief for a country that has been hit by the worst winter weather in five decades and is scrambling to patch up disrupted transport and a tightened food and power supply.

The snow havoc had killed 107 people by Tuesday. In addition, insurance firms in the country had paid out more than one billion yuan (US$138.8 million) in claims stemming from the severe weather. Millions more may yet be paid, according to the insurance regulator.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2008)