Almost all highways in northeast China's Liaoning Province were closed Thursday after sleet fell Wednesday, local authorities said.

All 17 highways were closed except for some parts of the Dandong-Dalian highway, Liaoning Provincial Highway Administration official Fan Gongpeng said Thursday.

The sleet hit Liaoning late Wednesday night, dropping temperatures by an average eight degrees Celsius to minus 12 degrees Celsius, Shenyang Meteorological Observatory deputy chief Yuan Zipeng said.

"Roads are covered with ice, which will last until noon Thursday," said Yuan.

All long-distance bus terminals in Liaoning have suspended their services.

A total of 15 flights were delayed or diverted from early Thursday morning until 9:00 AM at Shenyang Xiantao International Airport due to slippery runways.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2010)