Freezing rain, snow and sleet disrupted traffic in central and eastern China as millions of people braved the cold weather that affected large parts of the country to return home ahead of the spring holiday, the Chinese New Year, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing Agerpres.

Hunan and Hubei provinces were hit hardest by the bad weather, which worsened over the weekend, slowing traffic on highways and canceling hundreds of trips.

The traffic disruptions coincide with the world’s biggest mass migration, as millions leave major cities to join families for the Chinese New Year.

In recent days, videos of people stuck in trains or cars on snowy highways in several cities, including Jingzhou, have been posted on Chinese social media.

Among the cases of those affected by the bad weather is a driver who was stuck in his car for three days, the economic information portal Yicai reported on Monday, as quoted by Xinhua.

Local media reported that hundreds of train flights were delayed or canceled and many passengers were stranded at stations in Wuhan.

The runways at Tianhe Airport in Wuhan were temporarily closed on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The China Meteorological Administration has released photos of downed trees on roads in Hunan due to freezing rain. About 129 sections of highways were closed in ten provinces, Beijing News reported.

At least two people died in accidents caused by the snowfall. According to state media reports, one person from Hubei and another from the southern province of Hunan died after market canopies collapsed under the weight of snow.

Bad weather will continue for the next few days, according to China’s National Disaster Management Agency. Several cities have updated their weather warnings and emergency response plans.

Authorities in Hubei said they planned to clear tunnels and bridges where thick ice had caused traffic jams. In this province, highway toll booths have been ordered to take measures to control traffic, including allowing vehicles to pass for free.

China’s Central Meteorological Observatory has forecast rain, snow and frost in the south of the country for the first half of this week, but said the weather should improve from Thursday.