Beijing is currently experiencing its coldest December since record-keeping began in 1951, with temperatures plummeting below -10C frequently throughout the month. This extreme cold is part of a year marked by weather contrasts, including the city’s hottest June day on record at just over 40C earlier in the year.
Persistent Freeze Affects Daily Life
A Beijing weather station reported an unusual occurrence of over 300 hours of sub-zero temperatures in less than two weeks, as noted by China Daily. This harsh weather isn’t isolated to Beijing; it has swept across various Chinese provinces, leading to school closures, transportation disruptions, and strained energy resources, particularly in Henan province where heating services are struggling to cope.
Regional Weather Extremes
The extreme cold in Beijing is part of a broader pattern of unusual weather affecting much of Northeast Asia. Northern Japan has been buried under significantly higher snowfalls than usual, with some regions like Gifu and Hokkaido receiving around a meter of snow, prompting heavy snow alerts. South Korea has also experienced dramatic temperature swings, ranging from 16C to a biting -12C as reported by the Korean Meteorological Administration.
Scientific Debate on Cold Causes
The unusual weather pattern, particularly the cold snap, is thought to be partly due to a weakening in the Polar Vortex. This typically Arctic air mass has spread further south than usual, contributing to the lower temperatures. However, the role of climate change in these extreme weather events remains a subject of scientific debate, with researchers examining how warming global temperatures may be influencing these drastic weather patterns.
In these frigid times, the resilience of communities and infrastructure is being tested, emphasizing the need for preparedness and adaptation strategies to cope with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. As Beijing shivers through this record cold, the extreme conditions serve as a stark reminder of the changing climate and the need for global attention to environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
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