Temperatures plunged in northern China as a strong cold front hit the region on October 20, bringing snowfall to Beijing and the provinces of Hebei and Shanxi.
The lowest temperature in most areas of Hebei continued to drop by 3-8 degrees Celsius on October 20. In Guyuan County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, the highest daytime temperature was only 2 degrees Celsius, forcing many people to wear winter clothes when going out.
Amid the strong cold front, local authorities have activated heating systems and continuously adjusted operating parameters according to changes in outdoor temperatures.
Hebei provincial weather bureau forecast snowfall in the cities of Zhangjiakou, Chengde and Baoding during the day with temperatures forecast to drop below minus 2 degrees Celsius.
Also on October 20, the Beijing weather bureau reported snowfall in the Yanqing Mountains, a suburb of Beijing. However, October 20 is not considered the first snowfall of the year in Beijing because most other meteorological stations in the city have not recorded snowfall.
Traditionally, the earliest snowfall day in Beijing is October 31, and the first snowfall day of the year is on average December 3.
Rain and snowfall during this cold front also occurred in Shanxi Province, affecting traffic on some highways in the province. To ensure safety during unfavorable weather, some sections of the highway have been banned from traveling by passenger cars with more than 7 seats and vehicles carrying dangerous chemicals.
The latest weather forecast from the Shanxi Provincial Meteorological Department predicts that northern Shanxi will see hail or light snow on October 21, with some areas experiencing heavy snowfall.
Also related to cold air from China, according to Pattaya Mail, a cold air mass from China affected Thailand's weather from October 19-21.
The Thai Meteorological Department has warned that the country will experience unstable weather conditions until October 21 as a moderate cold front from China spreads across northern and northeastern Thailand. The cold front will bring thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy to very heavy rain in some areas. After October 22, temperatures are expected to drop.
In Vietnam, as Lao Dong reported, around October 22-23, another cold air mass will arrive in the northern provinces. The intensity of this cold air mass is stronger and will directly affect the weather in the northern provinces. Due to the impact of the increased cold air mass, the northern provinces will have rain and temperatures will drop. The weather will turn cold at night and in the morning. Strong winds in the Gulf of Tonkin can increase to level 6, gusting to level 7-8.
