Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Snow and freezing weather in China's southwestern province of Yunnan stranded 20,000 vehicles on highways, almost two weeks after the worst storms in 50 years cut power supplies and transport links to millions of people.

Authorities in Yunnan sent food and water to drivers and passengers and transferred some to government shelters or the homes of people who live along the highways, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

``We have taken effective measures to ensure the people, especially those with economic difficulties, have enough food, winter clothes and a warm place to stay,'' said Yue Yuesheng, mayor of Qujing, the second-largest city in Yunnan.

The province, like others in the south, was starting to recover after the worst snowstorms since 1954 cut power and water supplies and paralyzed transport links. Snow or sleet is forecast in southern China for the next three days, the China Meteorological Administration said yesterday.

About 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) of roads in Yunnan are blocked, including 265 kilometers of highways and 5,000 kilometers of trunk roads, Xinhua reported. The storms affected 178,000 people.

Workers sprayed salt to clear the roads, the news agency said, adding efforts were hampered by poor equipment and a shortage of money. The snows returned to Yunnan on Feb. 14.

Homes Destroyed

More than 354,000 homes collapsed and 1.4 million were damaged during three weeks of snowstorms in China's southern provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, Guizhou and Jiangxi, where sub- zero temperatures are rare.

At least 107 people died, eight are missing and direct economic losses were 111 billion yuan ($15.4 billion) since the storms began Jan. 10, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said. The snows damaged 177 million mu (11.8 million hectares) of crops.

More than 90 percent of people affected by power cuts have had their supplies switched back on, the State Council's Disaster Relief and Emergency Command Center said last week.

The snowstorms were caused in part by the ``La Nina'' weather pattern, which cools Pacific Ocean waters bringing colder weather to China, the meteorological association said.

China plans to boost funding for research to improve the warning system for natural disasters, Wan Gang, Minister of Science and Technology, has said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Heath in Sydney at mheath1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 17, 2008 18:30 EST