China's cold wave warning upgraded to the highest level

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) continued to issue blue warnings for strong winds and sandstorms Sunday. The cold wave that is sweeping over large swaths of China will not only lead to significant drops in temperature, but also bring rain, snow, strong winds, and dust. The CMA has also elevated the cold wave warning to orange, the highest alert level. It is expected that from February 18-22, most parts of China will experience severe temperature drops. 

Due to the influence of the cold wave, temperatures in most parts of northwest China have dropped by 8 to 16 degrees Celsius, with some areas experiencing a reduction of over 20 degrees Celsius. In Qinghe County of Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the temperature plummeted to as low as minus 43.3 degrees Celsius.

The cold wave will keep bringing rain and snow to large parts of China. Some areas in Inner Mongolia, the northeast region, Xinjiang, and western Gansu are experiencing snow or sleet. Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, and other regions are facing heavy snow or blizzard conditions. 

According to meteorological satellite monitoring, from Saturday to Sunday, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, and other regions have encountered winds ranging from force 7 to 9. In Xinjiang, along the Tianshan Mountains and in the eastern regions, level 13 was reached, with the wind in Turpan reached level 15. Xinjiang, western Gansu, northern Ningxia, northern Shaanxi, central and western Inner Mongolia also saw sand- and dust-storms.

This cold wave coincides with the peak for return journeys from the Spring Festival holiday. Until now, the impact range of the complex weather conditions are making travel very unfavorable. Experts have reminded the public to closely follow the latest information released by local meteorological and transportation departments, make travel arrangements in advance, and be aware of the wet and icy roads and low visibility.

In addition, as the cold wave gradually moves southward, around February 20, southern and eastern parts of China will also join the cooling trend. It is expected that temperatures in the southern regions will slowly rise again starting from February 26. Experts advise that there will be significant weather variations between northern and southern China, with both sharp drops in temperature and substantial warming occurring concurrently. The public should pay attention to the latest weather forecasts, wear clothing that is as warm as needed, and take precautions for colds and cardiovascular diseases.