Beijing, China's capital, has broken a record dating back to 1951 for experiencing sub-zero temperatures in December. This exceptional cold wave affected various parts of the country, leading to blizzards and historically low temperatures.
In the northern and northeastern regions, an unprecedented cold spell persisted since last week. Temperatures plummeted to below minus 40 degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit due to a harsh Arctic cold front sweeping down across these areas.
As of Sunday, Beijing's weather observatory logged more than 300 consecutive hours of freezing temperatures since December 11, marking the highest number for this month since records began in 1951. The capital also endured nine days in a row with temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) during this period.
Meanwhile, cities in the central province of Henan, situated southwest of Beijing, faced a shortage in winter heating supply. Jiaozuo, in particular, experienced pressure on thermal power suppliers, notably at JiaoZuo WanFang Aluminum Manufacturing. Several boilers malfunctioned, causing urgent requirements for increased heat supply in certain areas, as reported by state media on Sunday.
Efforts are underway to repair the malfunctioning boilers, with expectations to resume the heat supply by December 26. However, the exact number of affected boilers was not specified. During the maintenance period, the city plans to suspend heat supply for most businesses, except essential services like hospitals and senior centers. Nevertheless, some residential areas might still face disruptions due to this device maintenance, as mentioned in media reports.
In Henan's Puyang and Pingdingshan cities, government departments and administrative institutions have already halted heat supply to prioritize residential usage amid the extreme cold weather, the local authorities confirmed.
Weather forecasts indicate sub-zero temperatures in these cities, with other regions in Henan expecting lows of minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) over the weekend, according to the provincial weather authority's statement on Saturday.
However, relief might be on the way as warm air is predicted to flow from the north to the south of the country, raising temperatures starting from the weekend.
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