BEIJING — China has earmarked a total of 114 million yuan (about $17.9 million) to address traffic emergencies as cold waves, strong wind, and snow have hit large swathes of the country recently, said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) on Nov 30.

The emergency funds were allocated by the MOT and the Ministry of Finance, the MOT spokesman Liu Pengfei told a press conference.

The MOT has strengthened support for the provinces hit by cold waves, including Shanxi, Liaoning, and Jilin. It provided more than 100 tons of deicing and snow removal supplies, Liu said.

Since November, cold spells have affected most regions in China, Liu said. Liu added that the ministry introduced a slew of measures to intensify monitoring and early warnings, timely issue weather alerts, and provide traffic information services.

More efforts will ensure the smooth and orderly transport of energy supplies, including coal and natural gas, said the ministry.