Beijing – One of the coldest New Year periods in local history

The original headline called it a “cold snap.”

Beijing is experiencing one of the coldest New Year periods in local history, according to the municipal observatory on Wednesday.

The observatory issued a yellow low-temperature weather alert on Tuesday afternoon. The warning is second only to red alert.

Temperatures could plunge to minus 14 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, approaching the extreme record of minus 16 degrees Celsius.

The temperature in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north of Beijing has dropped to minus 40 degrees Celsius with snow on ground piling up 50 centimeters in some areas of the Greater Hinggan Mountains.

The rare winter cold caused frost on expressways in eastern Shandong Province, which has also issued yellow icy road alert.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-01/02/c_132076347.htm

Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for this link