A man throws hot water into the freezing air to create a stunning scene in Harbin City, the capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 21, 2016. The air temperature measured as low as minus 36 degrees Celsius. (Photo/IC)
A record-breaking strong cold wave will sweep 90 percent of China from north to south, as three yellow alerts of cold wave, blizzard and sea gale were issued by National Meteorological Center on Thursday.
On Friday, many highways were closed and airport traffic disrupted as the worst cold front in years hit several Chinese provinces.
Municipalities and provinces in eastern, southern and central areas like Shanghai, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi have elevated the level of emergency response to deal with the cold front.
Beijing's temperature to reach -17 degree Celsius
Beijing's temperature is expected to plunge to minus 17 degree Celsius on Saturday morning, close to the lowest recorded for 30 years, according to the municipal meteorological service.
As strong winds are also expected from Friday to Sunday, temperatures in mountainous areas are forecast to dip to minus 23 degree Celsius.
Low temperature to break record in Shanghai
Sleet has been falling since Wednesday evening and the accumulated volume of rainfall and snowfall has reached 3-7 millimeters by Thursday morning in eastern China's Shanghai. The municipal meteorological service forecast the lowest temperature to be close to or break the 1981 record on Sunday and Monday.
The local public security bureau has taken precaution for potential major traffic accident or pileup in freezing rain and snow weather.
Guangdong issues emergency response
South China's Guangdong province braves freezing and frost weather from Friday to next Monday, which triggered an anti-freezing emergency response of level Ⅲ, the third highest in the four-level system.
In southern Guangdong's Pearl River Delta area, the lowest temperature is expected to approach the 1999 record of 0 degree Celsius. Most parts of the province will see a temperature drop between 8 to 10 degrees Celsius.
30 cm snow in eastern province of Zhejiang
Blizzards are expected to affect China's eastern and central provinces from 20:00 Thursday to 20:00 Friday, in most parts of Zhejiang, southern Anhui, northern Jiangxi, southern Hubei and northern Hunan, with an accumulated snow depth of between 3 to 12 centimeters.
Some areas of western Zhejiang brave a snowfall of 20-25 mm, with a snowpack of between 10 to 20 centimeters.
Daming Mountain in Lin'an city even witnessed snow depth reaching 30 centimeters by 5 pm on Thursday after 31 hours of continuous snowfall, Qianjiang Evening News reported.
Fujian expected to see first snow
Due to the strongest cold wave in the last 10 years, adjoining province Fujian is forecast to see the first snow in the new year, with northeastern parts braving blizzard.
The provincial meteorological service also issued an anti-freezing emergency response of level Ⅲ, saying that the cold wave will cause serious damage in most regions of the province.
Warmest region not immune to cold snap
Not even the southernmost tropical island of Hainan will escape the cold front sweeping across most of China, according to the local meteorological authority.
Hainan Meteorological Observatory forecast that temperatures across the island province will drop by up to 13 degrees Celsius, and its surrounding waters will be battered by high winds on Jan 23.
