2023-12-24 19:45:34
© Reuters. A worker clears snow in a park during the winter solstice in Beijing, China. 12/22/2023 REUTERS/Florence Lo/File photo
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s capital Beijing broke the record for hours of subzero temperatures for a December set in 1951 after a cold wave swept parts of the country and brought snowfall.
Parts of northern and northeastern China have experienced record cold since last week, with some areas in the northeast reaching minus 40 degrees Celsius as bitingly cold air descended from the Arctic.
As of Sunday, a meteorological observatory in Beijing recorded more than 300 hours of subzero temperatures beginning on December 11, the most for a December since records began in 1951, according to the Beijing Daily newspaper. supported by the State.
The capital also suffered nine consecutive days of temperatures below -10°C during this period, Beijing Daily added.
Several cities in the central Chinese province of Henan, southwest of Beijing, are experiencing a heating supply crisis, with thermal power supply in the city of Jiaozuo under pressure to secure supplies.
Heating boilers at JiaoZuo WanFang Aluminum Manufacturing, one of the city’s main suppliers, have broken down, leaving some areas in urgent need of more supplies, state media reported on Sunday.
The company is struggling to fix the defect and hopes to resume supply on December 26, state media reported, without specifying the number of boilers that failed.
JiaoZuo WanFang Aluminum did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from Reuters.
The city will suspend heat supply to most businesses except essential service providers, such as hospitals and senior centers, to prioritize residential use. However, some residential complexes will still be impacted during the equipment maintenance period, according to media reports.
Two other cities in Henan – Puyang and Pingdingshan – have already suspended offering heat to government departments and administrative institutions to prioritize residential use, the local governments said, citing the extremely cold weather.
The expectation is that a mass of hot air will travel from the north to the south of the country, raising temperatures from the weekend onwards.
As of 2pm this Sunday (3am Brasília time), temperatures in many areas in central and eastern China rose slightly, increasing more than 10°C in some areas, said the country’s meteorological authority.
(Reporting by Ella Cao, Siyi Liu and Ryan Woo)
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