Parts of China gripped by record-low temperatures as icy snap intensifies
Passengers inside Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing China, Sunday. China's meteorological authorities on Dec. 16 issued a low-temperature warning that forecasted a cold wave across China that will last until Dec. 19. EPA-Yonhap
Temperatures in parts of China, including in provinces Shanxi, Hebei and Liaoning, hit their lowest levels since records began, state broadcaster said on Sunday, as a cold snap gripped large swathes of the country.
The city of Yichun in Heilongjiang could see a record low of minus 47.9 C (minus 54.2 F), recorded in January 1980, broken early next week, according to a meteorological forecaster from the area.
On Friday, President Xi Jinping called for an "all-out" emergency response to the cold snap that began at the start of the week with snowfall and icy roads along with heavy fog causing multiple accidents on the roads.
But in a sign that conditions were improving in the capital Beijing, authorities said schools would reopen for in-person classes after shutting for several days last week. (Reuters)