Cold waves hit many parts of China; Beijing sees 30-year low
Icy blast is expected to cause temperatures to plunge across the country, with Beijing in grip of its coldest weather for nearly 30 years
Parts of the country were braced for record low temperatures today after a cold snap left 10 provincial capitals shivering at below minus 10 degrees Celsius.
The freeze brought snowfall and caused traffic chaos, amid fears that a prolonged icy spell may mean rising food prices.
The National Meteorological Office (NMO) said many areas had experienced their lowest temperatures so far this winter, including parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan.
The NMO lifted its "blue" warning of a severe spell of freezing weather issued on Saturday.
But it warned that while the cold snap is easing, temperatures would continue to fall in central and eastern regions, with some experiencing record low temperatures today.
In Beijing's mountainous northern suburbs, temperatures were expected to plunge to near minus 20 degrees last night, the Beijing Meteorological Observatory said. In urban areas, the temperature was expected to drop to minus 15 or minus 16 degrees.