China: Sub-zero Beijing breaks December cold weather record
December 25, 2023
China's capital has broken its record for the number of hours with temperatures below freezing point in December, after a cold wave hit much of the country with blizzards and prolonged low temperatures.
Northern and northeastern China experienced particularly cold temperatures over the last roughly two weeks, caused by biting cold air blowing south from the Arctic, with some areas hitting lows of negative 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit).
As of Sunday, a Beijing weather observatory had recorded more than 300 hours of sub-zero temperatures since December 11, the most for the month since records began in 1951, according to the state-backed Beijing Daily newspaper.
That included nine consecutive days in the capital — with its more than 20 million residents — with lows below minus 10 degrees Celsius, the paper said.
China's National Meteorological Center has recorded record-low December temperatures at some 78 weather stations across the country, also saying average temperatures in northern and some central parts of the country were the coldest seen since 1961.
Heating systems' capacity strained, limitations imposed
To the southwest of Beijing in the province of Henan, several cities were left struggling to meet heating demands.
Heating boilers at one of the major suppliers in the city of Jiaozuo broke down, leaving some areas in urgent need of more supply, state media reported on Sunday.
The JiaoZuo WanFang Aluminium Manufacturing Company was said to be scrambling to fix the malfunction and anticipated a return to normal service by December 26. The report did not specify how many boilers had broken down.
Most businesses, except essential service providers and care homes for the elderly, had heating services suspended to prioritize residential supply. But the state media reports said some residential compounds would nevertheless face shortages during the repair period.
Two other cities in Henan — Puyang and Pingdingshan — suspended heat supply to government departments and administrative institutions to prioritize domestic supply, the local governments said.
The strain on heating infrastructure was also visible during the week in Beijing itself, with large steam leaks emanating from cracked underground pipes.
Road and school closures and other snow-related contingencies have been commonplace in Beijing and several other cities during the month.
The freezing temperatures also provided additional hardships for survivors of last week's earthquake, albeit far to the west in Gansu and Qinghai provinces. The death toll from the magnitude 6.2 quake had risen to 149, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday. Tens of thousands were left in need of temporary housing units in freezing temperatures after their own homes sustained damage.
Temperatures rebounding as new week begins
Warmer air began to flow north to south across the country over the weekend with temperatures starting to creep back up in many parts of central and eastern China.
Temperatures rebounded in some parts of the country by more than 10 degrees Celsius on Sunday according to China's weather authority.
In Beijing's case on Monday, December 25, high temperatures of 3 degrees Celsius (roughly 37 Fahrenheit) were expected during the day, albeit with lows of minus 7 Celsius overnight. Current forecasts for the week ahead put the daytime high temperatures in the capital consistently somewhat higher than freezing point but with similar sub-zero overnight lows.
msh/ab (dpa, Reuters)