BEIJING: The first major cold front of the new year is set to sweep across central and eastern parts of the country from Saturday, with average temperatures expected to fall by as much as 14 C, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
In Xining, Qinghai province, for instance, the maximum temperature, which was around 6 C on Wednesday, is expected to drop to — 5 C by Sunday.
Similarly, in Datong, Shanxi province, the maximum temperature of 1 C on Wednesday will decrease to — 11 C by Sunday.
Ma Xuekuan, chief forecaster from the National Meteorological Center, said the cold front is likely to persist until Tuesday next week.
In regions like the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, extreme snowfall is expected, he added. Widespread and intense snowfall is expected in southern regions, Ma said, adding that Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan and some high-altitude regions in Guangdong province might experience freezing rain.
Similar to the extreme cold front in December, freezing rain is expected to be a notable feature in this cold wave, the center said.
Chen Jingjing, chief forecaster at the Hunan Meteorological Service, said that from this weekend, the province will be affected by the cold front, leading to widespread heavy snowfall. In some areas of central Hunan, there may even be severe snowstorms, with snow depths exceeding 10 centimeters. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
