Weather forecasters are warning of possible floods caused by melting snow in China's northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which has been hit by blizzards and dust storms in recent days. The storms have stopped, and rising temperatures are now forecast.

Traffic is back to normal on highways that were closed due to the storms. Temperatures are expected to rise quickly over the rest of the week, posing a threat of flooding and landslides. Meanwhile, sandstorms will continue to affect central and western parts of neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Temperatures there could fall by up to 12 degrees Celsius.