Widespread snowfall and freezing weather in central and eastern China
Widespread snowfall and freezing weather continues in central and eastern China.

Widespread snowfall and freezing weather continues in central and eastern China.

China’s meteorological authority issued the country’s first orange alert for freezing since 2010 on February 1, 2024, signaling expanding and intensifying freezing rain and snow. The severe weather, affecting areas from Henan to Chongqing, poses significant challenges to transportation in central China amidst the Spring Festival travel rush.

Amid the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush, China faces significant weather challenges with the National Meteorological Center issuing a blue alert for heavy snowfall in several provinces.

A very bright fireball was observed in the skies over downtown Beijing, China at 11:40 UTC (19:40 local time) on Monday, January 29, 2024, creating a spectacular sight for residents and visitors.

A very strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.0 hit the Kyrgyzstan – Xinjiang border region at 18:09 UTC on January 22, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 13 km (8 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.0 at a depth of 9 km (5.6 miles).

A massive landslide in Yunnan province, China, early on January 22, 2024, resulted in at least 47 people buried and the evacuation of 500 others amid freezing temperatures. A large-scale rescue operation is in progress, with at least 1 000 rescuers and 200 vehicles.

Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology Co Ltd has announced the development of a miniature nuclear battery, the BV100, which they claim can generate power for 50 years. Utilizing nickel-63 isotope decay technology and diamond semiconductors, this battery offers significant advancements in miniaturizing and modularizing atomic energy batteries. The company said the batteries have entered the pilot stage and will be put into mass production on the market.

Beijing has recorded its longest cold wave since records began in 1951, with the capital experiencing more than 300 hours of sub-zero temperatures since December 11.

China’s Shandong Peninsula is experiencing severe snowstorms, with Yantai and Wendeng setting new historic highs for snow depth amidst a severe cold wave affecting parts of the country.

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.