Snow and extreme cold set to hit southern China as ‘bossy cold wave’ moves towards Guangdong
A cold wave travelling from the north that has brought record low temperatures to central and eastern China is expected to hit Guangdong on Thursday.
The extreme cold has already left millions suffering across the nation and is expected to bring rare sub-zero temperatures and snow to cities in Guangdong.
Weather authorities predict many areas will experience a sudden drop of temperatures of about 8 to 10 degrees Celsius – prompting observers to label the front a “bossy cold wave”.
The cold wave is even expected to bring snow, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Guangdong authorities expect the cold to last until Tuesday, when temperatures should rise.
Guangzhou city is expected to go as low as 1 degree, while Shaoguan city is expected to experience a low of minus 3 and Huizhou city a low of minus 2. Dongguan, Foshan and Shenzhen are expected to reach minus 3.
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The National Meteorological Centre sent out a snowstorm alert yesterday.
Cities like Shanghai and Changsha (長沙) in Hunan (湖南) are expecting record lows.
Cold air moving south will bring heavy snow to regions along the Yangtze River until Saturday, and up to 30 millimetres of snow is expected in some areas.
Schools in Changsha have been told to start winter holidays three days earlier than usual, while education authorities in Hangzhou (杭州) are allowing students to stay at home.
Local agricultural authorities have warned farmers to add organic fertilisers to keep crops and vegetables from damage and to reinforce their greenhouses.
In some provinces, electricity companies have made emergency plans to remove ice from key facilities. Experts say the possibility of harsh conditions similar to the winter storms in 2008 is small, as the cold period will be shorter.
The city of Erguna in north China’s Inner Mongolia (內蒙古) reported minus 47.5 degrees on Tuesday, the lowest recorded in the country.
In Beijing, the electric power network load hit a record winter high of 16.6 million kW on Monday as the freezing weather boosted demand for electric heating.
