Polar vortex on the move: China’s big winter chill not over yet for the south – including Hong Kong
Orange alert lifted in northern areas after temperatures rose on Sunday, but warmer weather will not return to Sichuan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces until Tuesday
The winter’s chill has eased – at least for people living in northern China – as rising temperatures on Monday showed that the polar vortex that brought freezing temperatures to much of the north of the country for the past week has eased and moved south.
It means residents in southern parts of the country will continue to feel the chill for a further day, the National Meteorological Centre warned.
Watch: Asia shivers in record low temperatures
The observatory removed an orange alert over cold temperatures in the northern regions on Monday morning.
The cold surge continued to affect Hong Kong on Monday morning with minimum temperatures in urban areas hovering between three to four degrees, and at high ground, as low as minus five degrees. Urban areas gradually warmed up to about nine degrees later in the day under fine, dry weather.