 Severe weather warnings were in place across swathes of China as temperatures plummeted across the South and Beijing shivered in snowy conditions. Officials in the Chinese capital also closed some highways after heavier than expected snowfall. The National Meteorological Center renewed its orange alert, the highest in the country's three-tier system, as average daily temperatures or minimum temperatures in most parts of southern China are expected to drop by 6 to 12 degrees Celsius by Friday. The temperature in the southern part of the country, as of Wednesday, is around zero degrees Celsius. The Chinese meteorological officials also warned that some regions including Guizhou, Hunan, Guangxi and Jiangxi witnessing a temperature drop of more than 20 degrees Celsius, reported the state news agency Xinhua. The higher than expected snowfall prompted officials in the Chinese capital to close some highways as temperatures hovered around freezing. The officials also reportedly boosted public transport arrangements after closing around eight highways. Municipal officials set up to 4.1 cm of snow fell in some suburban areas of Beijing and issued a warning for icy roads.