BEIJING: Chinese capital Beijing has broken its record for hours of sub-zero temperatures in the month of December dating back to 1951, following a cold wave swept swathes of the entire country and brought snowstorms in its aftermath, sending mercury towards historic lows.
Northern and northeastern parts of China have experienced a record-breaking freezing since last week, with some parts in the northeast also hitting – 40 Celsius and Fahrenheit and below, as freezing cold air flowed down from the Arctic.
Chinese Capital Breaks Seven-decade Cold Record
A weather observatory in Beijing has recorded over 300 hours of below-freezing temperatures since December 11, the most for the month since records started in 1951, Beijing Daily reported.
The city has also endured 9 consecutive days of temperatures below minus 10 C in this period, the Beijing Daily maintained.
Several cities and areas in the Chinese province of Henan are in the grip of a winter heating supply crisis, with thermal power suppliers in the region under pressure to ensure supplies to the people.
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On December, 15, Chinese official media, reported that in response to the cold weather, Beijing’s railway stations suspended around 153 trains as of 10 a.m. Thursday.
Educational institutions including primary schools and secondary schools in the city started cancelling classes. The Beijing Meteorological Observatory forecast that Beijing would be hit by a cold, with minimum temperatures likely to drop below minus ten degrees at night.
