The authorities in the Chinese capital Beijing have closed schools and mobilised thousands of residents to help clear roads to deal with unusually harsh winter weather. About 33 centimetres of snow has blanketed parts of Beijing, the heaviest since 1951. Reports say that thousands of people were left stranded on the second day after the cold weather caused severe disruption to transport across the country. Some 30 highways have closed in the north of China. Nearly 90 per cent of the flights were cancelled or delayed at the Beijing airport on Sunday.