Snowstorms hit S.China as record-breaking low temperatures occur in multiple regions

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan 17, 2024 shows a view of Hemu Village after snow in Altay Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Photo: Xinhua

As China experiences the first cold wave of 2024, many provinces in the southern part of the country are being hit by heavy snowstorms, with multiple regions reporting record-breaking low temperatures for this winter, according to China's meteorological authorities on Monday.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) maintained a yellow alert for blizzards on Monday morning, stating that there will be heavy snow in some areas of Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces from Monday to Tuesday. The snow depth in the above-mentioned areas will increase by 2 to 6 centimeters, with some places reaching more than 8 centimeters.

According to the Weather China website, rain and snow in southern China will likely end on Tuesday, but there will still be frequent rain and snow in southwest China. Afterwards, with the re-strengthening of warm and humid air flow, precipitation in southern China will increase from Friday to Saturday.

Along with the heavy snowstorm, temperatures across the country are expected to face sharp drops. Most of the country's north will experience temperatures below freezing point throughout the day, while temperatures in the south will gradually hit new lows since the beginning of this winter.

The Weather China website shows that in the middle of January, the average national temperature was -2.1 C, which was nearly 3 C higher than the same period in previous years, making it the second warmest mid-January since 1961. However, starting from Sunday, a new round of cold weather hit, causing a significant drop in temperatures in most parts of central and eastern China.

According to real-time monitoring, compared to 6 am on Sunday, some areas in Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces experienced a temperature drop of 6 to 12 C on 6 am Monday.

The NMC continued to issue a blue alert for cold wave on Monday, forecasting a temperature drop of 6 to 8 C in many places across the country, with some areas in Northeast Jilin Province experiencing a drop of up to 10 to 12 C. As the cold air moves south, Guangxi and Guangdong in South China will see temperatures falling below zero by Tuesday.

The cold wave has mainly resulted in record-breaking temperatures in the southern regions. From the Monday to Wednesday, temperatures in several provincial capital cities including Changsha, Nanchang, Guiyang will experience new lows for this winter. Among them, the highest temperature in Changsha on Monday may only reach zero, marking the first time this winter that the local highest temperature has dropped to freezing point.

Meteorologists issued a reminder that since the snowfall in the south covers a large area, the public should promptly clear the snow and be cautious of the adverse effects on transportation such as slippery roads and poor visibility. In addition, residents should dress appropriately to keep warm.