A man flings hot water into the -30C air Thursday to make an icy spray in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. Photo: CFP

Illustration: China Weather/GT

A recent cold front believed to be the largest in 30 years swept through large swathes of southern China, triggering panic among residents of the normally balmy regions to buckle down for the snow storms to come.The biggest news on Thursday morning, however, was not how much the mercury had fallen or reports of record-breaking snowfall, but a worrying emergency message posted on social media by a local radio station in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang Province."A large number of bags containing road salt intended for the incoming cold front in Pinghu have apparently been taken by local residents. If used for cooking the consequences will be unfathomable! … It is not edible salt, do not consume!" Zhejiang Traffic Radio wrote in the widely circulated Weibo post."Eat at your own risk," read a statement released by Pingu road management authorities.In nearby Hangzhou, a city that does not supply public heating, zoo animals are faring better than most of the local population.Local zoos are hooking up their chimpanzees with heaters, while other tropical animals, such as elephants and giraffes, will enjoy heated floors, local media reported.In Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui Province, people lined up at supermarkets on Wednesday evening to stock up for the storm.Many schools and kindergartens in Jiangsu and Jiangxi have started winter break earlier than usual.According to Beijing's weather service, the capital will see lows drop to -17 C during Friday and Saturday.