After a summer marked by extreme weather, China has been facing a persistent cold wave for several days. New records for low temperatures were recorded this Thursday, December 21.
The National Weather Bureau indicated that more than 20 stations in several locations across the territory recorded historic minimums for the month of December in the early hours of the day. In Hohhot, the capital of northern China’s Inner Mongolia region, the mercury fell to -29.1 degrees Celsius, breaking a nearly 70-year-old record. Authorities have issued a low temperature alert across a wide area in the north, east and southeast of the country. Already on Wednesday, five stations in the country had recorded cold records, including -33.2 degrees in the city of Datong (north).
In northwest Gansu province, where an earthquake on Monday killed more than 130 people, survivors spend the night in large relief tents, trying to stay warm under blankets despite freezing temperatures outside.
This severe cold snap follows a summer affected by record heat and devastating floods, particularly in the north of the country. Experts warn that global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is making these extreme weather events more frequent.