Heavy snow inflicted direct economic losses of 1.87 billion yuan (US$274 million) in the eastern province of Shandong, local civil affairs authorities said Tuesday.

Snow enveloped seven cities in Shandong on Sunday and Monday, with northern Weifang City being hardest hit, the provincial civil affairs bureau said in a statement.

Snow enveloped seven cities in Shandong on Sunday and Monday.

The snow forced the evacuations of 100 people from their homes, and damaged 66,310 hectares of crops and 5,883 houses, of which 138 collapsed.

Weifang, where snow was 20 cm deep on average, suffered direct economic losses of 1.64 billion yuan as the heavy snow damaged or brought down 66,000 vegetable sheds.

Shouguang, a county-level city in Weifang and China's largest vegetable production base, suffered direct economic losses of 560 million yuan.