The temperature in Harbin dropped to -29 C on December 19, 2023. Photo: VCG

Temperatures in about 90 percent of regions in China will fall below zero in the coming two days, as the cold air that has been freezing northern China will also impact a significant portion of southern China, according to Weather China on Wednesday.

As of 4 pm on Wednesday, the highest temperatures in nine major cities in northern China reached a new low since the beginning of winter, including Harbin, Beijing, and Tianjin. According to the Weather China website, cold air will continue to move south from Thursday, and many places will hit new low temperatures since this winter.

Temperatures in about 90 percent of the country will drop below zero, Weather China said.

Additionally, it is expected that from Wednesday night to Thursday, there will be moderate to heavy snowfall in the Shandong peninsula and northern Xinjiang. Starting from Friday, the snowfall in the Shandong peninsula will gradually weaken and stop.

Facing the recent extremely cold weather, many netizens are discussing whether it is a "warm winter" as predicted by some experts. According to the National Climate Center, determining whether a year or a month is warmer than usual is not based on a single weather event; instead, it involves comparing the average temperatures over a period of time to assess whether they significantly deviate from the historical average for the same period.

The prediction of a "warm winter" does not mean that there won't be strong cold or warm events during this winter. The variation cycle of weather processes is still evident, and there will also be strong cold air. However, people usually remember extreme events more vividly and are less likely to remember average temperatures, so there may be a deviation in perception, experts noted.

According to the National Climate Center, it is expected that in January and February 2024, temperatures in most parts of China will be close to the average for the same period, but with significant fluctuations between warm and cold.

Global Times