People in many parts of China welcomed the new year in record-low temperatures, and the cold weather is expected to move farther south, the National Meteorological Center said on Wednesday.

Snow, ice and rain will hit parts of central and southern China over the next few days, and may make travel treacherous for motorists, the center said.

The average temperature in China since the beginning of winter has been -4.1 C, 1.2 degrees lower than normal, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The winter in northern and northeastern China is the coldest in the past 27 years, the administration said.