China is bracing for a severe cold wave from January 23 to 27, with temperatures expected to plummet by as much as 20 degrees Celsius in some areas, Xinhua's latest weather forecast said.
The cold air mass is forecast to move from west to east, starting from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on January 23 before spreading to the northwestern regions on January 24.
Forecasters said the strong cold air mass will affect areas in central and eastern China this weekend, then spread to northeastern and southern China from January 27.
Temperatures in most areas will drop by 8 to 12 degrees Celsius, with some areas, including Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, seeing a drop of as much as 20 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures in northwest and northern China are forecast to hit record lows this winter from January 25 to 28.
The eastern part of northwest China and the central part of northwest China are expected to be hit hardest by this extreme cold wave, with some areas seeing temperatures drop by more than 14 degrees Celsius.
Snowfall recorded on January 23 mainly affected northern Xinjiang. Snowfall is forecast to continue in eastern parts of northeast China and northern China from January 24-25.
Snow is expected to continue falling in northeastern China on January 26 and 27.
The cold spell and snowfall occurred during the peak travel period during the Lunar New Year holiday in China, potentially causing major disruption to traffic in the country.
China's National Weather Service advises drivers to slow down and increase distance from the vehicle ahead when driving in wet, snowy conditions.
There will be more and more changes in temperatures during winter, including sudden cold fronts, a senior weather forecaster said.
"So far, this winter seems to be relatively mild, but it's still uncertain whether it can officially be considered a warm winter," said Lin Nan, a meteorological analyst at the China National Weather Service.
Temperatures in 22 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, were higher than normal this winter.
Eastern Xinjiang, eastern Inner Mongolia, central and eastern Hunan and southern Hubei had temperatures 2 degrees Celsius higher than normal, with some areas having temperatures 4 degrees Celsius higher than average.
Weather expert Lin Nan said the warmer temperatures were due to a weakening of cold air masses. As they moved southeast, the cold air masses gradually warmed up under the sunlight, leading to shorter and less intense cold spells in central and eastern China.
Mr. Lin Nan commented that although the beginning of the season was warm, there is still a possibility that this winter will have other cold spells.
“Even in mild winters, temperatures can drop sharply and there can be cold fronts,” he notes.
