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Rare snowfall hits southern China as north endures deep freeze

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satellite image acquired on december 20 2023 showing epicenter of m6.2 earthquake on december 18 gansu china

Featured image: Epicenter of M6.2 earthquake in Gansu, China as seen by Sentinel-2 satellite on December 20, 2023. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, EO Browser, The Watchers.

China is experiencing a severe cold wave, with rare snowfall reported in Guangdong province in the south, while northern regions face near-historic low temperatures.

China is currently undergoing a wave of cold weather, bringing rare snowfall to areas as far south as Guangdong province. Meanwhile, the northern parts of the country are experiencing near-historic low temperatures. In the north, temperatures have dipped below zero, affecting transportation and causing issues such as a brake failure on a Beijing commuter train.

Despite early predictions of a warmer winter due to El Niño, the reality has been a week of frigid weather following one of the warmest Octobers in decades. Guangdong, typically seeing limited snowfall, experienced a snowy mountain top just 80 km (50 miles) north of Guangzhou. The region, usually enjoying double-digit temperatures in early winter, is now facing a low of 8 °C (46 °F).

In Shanghai, snow flurries were observed, and Beijing experienced a significant drop in temperature to -15.5 °C (4.1 °F), nearing its 1952 historic low. The national forecaster warns of continued low temperatures at least until Thursday, December 21, with some regions expected to be 7 °C (13 °F) colder than typical.

This cold weather is complicating rescue efforts in Gansu Province, where a recent M6.2 earthquake caused over 120 fatalities. Emergency response teams, including firefighters, soldiers, and police officers are operating under temperatures of -13 °C (8.7 °F).

The earthquake in Gansu is the deadliest since the M6.1 earthquake in Yunnan Province in 2014, which resulted in 617 deaths.

On December 20, 5 stations in China broke the lowest record in history.

Yunzhou registered -33.2 °C (-27.76 °F), breaking the previous record of -31.9 °C (-25.42 °F); Qingshuihe registered -29.7 °C (-21.46 °F), breaking the previous record of -29.4 °C (-20.92 °F); Yangqu -27 °C (-16.6 °F), breaking the previous record of -26.8 °C (-16.24 °F); Baoding -23.3 °C (-9.94 °F), breaking the previous record of -22 °C (-7.6 °F); and Shunping -22 °C (-7.6 °F), breaking the previous record of -21.6 °C (-6.88 °F).

References:

1 Rare snowfall in southern China as deep freeze grips the north – Reuters – December 18, 2023

2 Deadly M6.2 earthquake strikes northwest China, leaving over 100 fatalities, nearly 5 000 homes damaged – The Watchers – December 19, 2023

The Watchers team and our contributors bring the latest on extreme weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, space weather, and all things science. We're all about making sense of the natural world and keeping you informed on what’s happening. Got a tip or a question? Hit us up using the form at newstips!

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