By Ying Guoliang in Yushu and Song Shengxia in Beijing

Chinese flags will fly at half-staff Wednesday for a national day of mourning for the victims of last week's earthquake in northwest Qinghai Province that killed at least 2,064.

The toll is likely to keep rising, as 175 people were still listed Tuesday as missing. The total number of injured in Yushu prefecture was 12,135.

Throughout the country, as well as at Chinese embassies and consulates overseas, the national flag will be lowerered, while in Qinghai Province three minutes of silence will be observed starting at 10 am - one week since the 7.1-magnitude quake hit.

Additional memorial ceremonies will be held in the town of Gyegu in Yushu, the epicenter, and at other sites such as Xining, the provincial capital. All public entertainment will be suspended.

Tuesday, a hailstorm swept through Gyegu at noon as lunch was served in the quake area, halting traffic and slowing the delivery of badly needed relief. The hail was the latest in a string of inclement weather in recent days, including snow, rain, freezing temperatures and thin air due to the high altitude.

A People's Daily reporter told the Global Times that the traffic was briefly disrupted by the hail, and there was plenty of thunder and lightning as well.

"On our way from the town of Longbao to Gyegu, I encountered peanut-sized hail. I had to stop my engine. At that time, a car crashed in front of me, and I had to wait for half an hour after the hailstorms stopped," he recalled.

Meteorologists had earlier warned that lightning rods should be erected on tents in the quake-hit area because they were set up with metal materials, which are prone to strikes.

"There will be a lot of thunderstorms in Yushu in May, so 100 lightning rods will be installed at major resettlement areas," said Tsering Tashi, deputy chief of the Yushu Prefecture Meteorological Bureau.

Tuesday's storm, which lasted about 40 minutes, also left a blanket of snow across the barren lands and atop tents.

"Luckily enough, the sun came up soon and the snow is melting," Yao Honghua, a rescue worker with China International Search and Rescue, told the Global Times shortly after the snow stopped.

Since Monday night, roads leading to the disaster area have experienced spells of snow and rain, and in some areas snow accumulated to 4 centimeters and ice formed on the surface, making it dangerous to drive on, Ma Yuancang, deputy head of the Qinghai provincial meteorology bureau, told Xinhua.

Sleet, strong wind and snow are forecast for the next two days.

Snow and ice on major roads to the disaster area were already causing delays, as aid-laden trucks, vans and cars slowed to a crawl on the main roads linking Yushu to Xining, where most of the relief goods and rescuers are being transported into the quake zone.

Brake failures occurred, and at least one car overturned. Local traffic officials said slide-proof mats would be put on roads and heavy machinery would be used to break the ice. Due to the adverse weather and low visibility, Air Force aircraft carrying relief goods were delayed Monday, local radio reported. Cotton tents, quilts, coats and stoves are especially in need due to the cold weather.

Dangers for rescuers

Meanwhile, 200 doses of rabies vaccine were delivered to the quake-hit area Tuesday, as more than 10 people had been bitten by Tibetan mastiffs, according to the health department of the rescue headquarters. They were being given to the injured for free.

As many Tibetan mastiffs were made homeless following the quake, seven or eight rescue soldiers had been injured from mastiff dog bites.

Almost 150 hours after the quake, rescuers, using heat sensors, again found signs of life in the ruins of temple in Gyegu Town, China Central Television Station reported Tuesday. However, there were no immediate reports of further miracles rescues Tuesday.

Cai Guozhong, a spokesman for the Firefighting Corps of the Gansu Public Security Bureau, told the Global Times that the 257 rescuers with the firefighting corps sent to Yushu feel extremely exhausted after a week-long rescue operation, but they will not rest, as the rescue operation has shifted to remote villages.

"By this stage, the likelihood of survival is low, but we'll certainly keep trying despite fatigue and harsh conditions," he said.

More funding earmarked

Another 300 million yuan ($43.9 million) has been earmarked by the government for quake relief in the quake-hit area on top of the 200 million yuan allocated last week, the Ministry of Finance said Tuesday.

The funds will be used to finance evacuations, resettlement, medical care, disease prevention, infrastructure repairs and the reopening of schools, according to a ministry statement.

A charity event, broadcast live nationwide last night, raised about 2.18 billion yuan ($319 million) in donations for quake relief in Yushu.

Wang Xiaohong, a manager of the Sichuan Xinshu Company, has volunteered to help since the quake hit.

"Rescuers are trying to help local residents rebuild their homes by cleaning up the roads. Grocery stores have been reopened," he said. "Compared with the first day when I arrived, everything seems to be turning bright."

Ni Ma, headmaster of a local school dedicated to orphans, told the Global Times that with rescue efforts underway, schools around the Yushu prefecture are reopening.

"My school has already restarted classes. Other students at other schools in Yushu will resume their classes around Friday," he said. "Students will have to stay in makeshift movable plank houses. But their safety can largely be guaranteed."

The main power grid in the quake-hit area had been fully restored by late Monday, and power supplies were back to normal in Yushu, said Wang Huaiming, general manager of Qinghai Electric Power Corporation, Tuesday.

The priority for the coming days will be repairing the lines connecting the urban and suburban areas and resuming the power supply to the remote countryside, he said.