On Wednesday, the China National Meteorological Center (NMC), China’s highest meteorological authority, renewed the orange alert, the second highest level on the extreme weather scale, due to a cold wave hitting the central and eastern regions of the country.
There is also a unusual freezing rain widespread this year that could pose a risk to infrastructure and public transport. Local authorities notified the suspension of classes and public transportation, with reminders of the corresponding measures in the localities affected by the cold wave, which tends to worsen.
These freezing rains, also called ice particles, are expected to hit Hubei and Hunan provincesin central China, and Anhui, in the east of the country, between February 20 and 25, affecting an area of 570,000 square kilometers.
The statement on freezing rains in China
He director of Guizhou Institute of Public and Environmental Affairsbased in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday that freezing rain is a meteorological phenomenon relatively unusual that poses greater risks to infrastructure. The phenomenon occurred in Guizhou province in the past, but this year it affected more regions.
According to him Ministry of Emergency Managementjoint consultations were held with the China Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Transportation and the National Energy Administration to apply measures response to low rainfall, snow and frost in 13 provinces.
The authorities also sent a task force to Hunan to assist with disaster prevention and emergency response.
The snow storm in Beijing
In Beijing, a snow storm hit the city Tuesday night, with a snow storm appearing in the southern part of the city. Approximately 63,000 sanitation workers joined in clearing snow from streets overnight.
Affected by snow, Eight highways in Beijing were temporarily closed due to snow and ice on the road. The citywide snowfall process ended Wednesday morning and all affected roads resumed operations at noon Wednesday.
He Beijing Meteorological Service warned that icing on roads is expected to persist through Thursday.
The heaviest and most intense snowfalls
The NMC reported that it is expected that The north of the country experiences the most extensive and intense snowfall of this season. Light to moderate snow or freezing rain will hit northwestern parts of the country, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Xizang autonomous regions, Qinghai, the eastern part of Northwest China, North China, the Yellow River basins, Yangtze and Huaihe, and the Jianghan Plain. Some of these areas will experience blizzards.
From Monday to Thursday, central and eastern China will experience rainy, snowy and icy weather large scale and notable temperature fluctuations.
Temperatures in southern China
Temperatures in areas such as the Jianghan Plain and Jiangnan Areacovering the area south of the Yangtze River and the northern part of southern Chinathey will drop between 12ºC and 16ºC. Temperature drops in parts of southern Guizhou and southern Hunan will exceed 20ºC. The highest temperatures in some parts of Shanxi, Henan, Shandong and Hubei will reach historically low levels.
The center of the snowfall shifted south on Wednesday, and the south will see an increase in precipitation. Parts of Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and Hubei will experience heavy snowfall. The freezing rain will hit northern Anhui, Jianghan Plain and central and northern Hunan, and heavy rain will affect southern Anhui, northern Jiangxi and western Zhejiang.
The start of classes is affected in China
Given the severe weather conditions, Wuhan primary and secondary schools, hubei province, They will postpone the start of the new semester for one weekuntil next Monday, to guarantee the safety of the students.
With the continuous movement of the Spring Partyweather authorities reminded transportation departments to deploy resources early and be alert to rain, ice and fog conditions affecting water, land and air transportation.
A meteorologist’s statement
Zhang Fanghua, chief meteorologist of the center, He said that ascold air hits a stream of warm air and wet, will cause heavier rain and consecutive severe weather conditions, adding that the intensity of snowfall and the intensity and duration of freezing rain will not exceed those observed in parts of Henan, Hubei and Hunan before the Spring Festival.
China entered Rainwater, the second of the 24 solar terms, on Monday, announcing an increase in precipitation and a rise in temperatures. However, the center warned that low temperatures are expected to persist until the end of February.
Temperature differences in China
The national temperature difference in a single day reached a record of 90.3 degrees Celsius on Sunday. A record low temperature of -52.3°C was observed in the morning in Fuyun County, Altai Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, while in the afternoon the temperature rose to 38°C in Ceheng County, Guizhou.
There are places in the south of the country where Temperatures rose and soared above 30 degrees centigrade, as in the provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Sichuan. In Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi, more than 30 weather stations recorded their highest February temperatures, the NMC reported.
Source: Ambito
