The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China's north-west has been experiencing high winds and cold temperatures this weekend, and the unseasonable weather is expected to continue well into next week.

The capital Urumqi recorded wind speeds of more than 25 meters per second on Saturday, strong enough to ground a number of flights. It also disrupted rail services. Meanwhile, authorities in southern Xinjiang have reported sandstorms. Authorities said the extreme weather was caused by a strong cold front and issued a yellow warning in response. Temperatures in Urumqi are expected to fall below freezing on Monday and Tuesday.