Cold wave brings strong winds and freezing temperatures to China

A powerful cold wave is sweeping across central and eastern China, bringing strong winds and a sharp temperature drop.

From February 6 to 7, winds will intensify from north to south, with the hardest-hit areas including Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanxi and Shandong provinces, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.

On February 6, Inner Mongolia experienced the strongest winds, followed by Shanxi and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei during the day, and Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu in the evening. By February 7, gusts of around level 6 will reach many southern regions.

The cold wave has triggered a significant temperature drop, with Inner Mongolia seeing a 4 to 10-degree Celsius decline on February 6. The frigid conditions will persist until February 9, with some areas in western and central Inner Mongolia expected to reach nearly minus 30 degrees Celsius.

The extreme cold is affecting agriculture, with farmers in Ordos City reinforcing greenhouses to protect crops from frost damage.

A blue alert for sustained low temperatures was issued on February 6, predicting that from February 6 to 8, the minimum temperature in Beijing's plains will remain below minus 10 degrees Celsius at night.

A key factor intensifying the cold is the "wind chill effect." Experts explain that as wind speed increases, it accelerates body heat loss, making the air feel much colder than the actual temperature. If temperatures are above 0 degrees Celsius, a two-level wind increase can make it feel 3 to 5 degrees Celsius colder. Below zero, the perceived temperature can drop by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius with the same wind increase.

Authorities have issued multiple weather warnings. Shanxi issued a high wind yellow alert on the morning of February 6, with gusts reaching level 8 in Datong, Shuozhou and Xinzhou. A dust storm blue alert followed in the afternoon, warning of blowing dust in Taiyuan, Yangquan and Jinzhong. Beijing recorded extreme winds with gusts of 19 to 21 meters per second, close to the record set of 21.9 m/s in 1994.

Experts recommend securing outdoor decorations, billboards and temporary structures, while authorities should reinforce urban and forest fire prevention measures. Meteorologists note that strong winds, rather than snowfall, are the defining feature of this cold wave.

(Cover: Large sea ice appears at Tangdao Bay in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, east China, February 6, 2025. /VCG)