Temperatures plunge as much as 18 C in cold snap

More cold air is forecast to sweep across China, bringing with it more strong winds and frigid temperatures, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The center said temperatures are forecast to plummet and wind is expected to blow from northwestern to eastern and southern parts of China until Thursday.

Temperatures are forecast to drop by between 10 C and 18 C in some northern areas.

Over the weekend, Hulunbuir in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region was hit by heavy snowfall and strong winds. The deepest snow cover reached 23 centimeters and the lowest temperature dropped to — 37 C, according to the local meteorological service.

"According to the meteorological information and the experience of previous years, we increased the heating in advance. We raised the water temperature for heating systems from 70 C to 85 C, to ensure the operation of urban heating," said Chen Haibin, a manager from a thermal company in Ergune, a city overseen by Hulunbuir.

Khuvisgalt, a herdsman from Abga Banner of the region's Xiliin Gol League, said, "The temperature here is almost — 30 C. It became so cold all of a sudden that cars could not start. My 100 cattle could not go out for grazing, but could only stay in the pen. Luckily, I stored some hay."

In the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, a strong cold front arrived on Saturday with the Xinjiang meteorological center issuing a red warning for cold air — the first time the center has issued the highest level of such a warning since the system was adopted in 2008.

In Shenyang, Liaoning province, one of the places hit hardest by the cold, it started to snow heavily on Sunday. The city's command center for clearing snow is on standby.

On Tuesday, due to the sudden cold air, the Maritime Safety Bureau in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, moved more than 1,600 vessels to safe harbor, including anchorages and wharves, for protection against the frigid weather conditions.

Zhang Fanghua, chief forecaster at the national center, said, "Cold air is likely to occur nationwide every November. This cold wave will be stronger than the same period in normal years as temperatures will drop drastically because it was warmer than normal in earlier days.

"Heavy snow will take over Northeast and North China and freezing rain will sweep southern parts," she said, adding that starting from Dec 4, temperatures will go back up a little.

In the past 30 years, an average of 5.4 cold waves have occurred in China each year. Last year saw the highest number of cold snaps since 1991 with 11, followed by 2009 with eight, according to China Meteorological Administration.