China experiences brief warm spell before cold snap returns

Temperatures have rebounded across much of China in recent days, bringing dry and unusually mild weather to large parts of the country in mid-January. However, forecasters warn the warmth will be short-lived, with a sharp temperature drop and renewed cold expected soon.

Large areas from northwestern China to the south are currently experiencing warmer-than-average temperatures for this time of year, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The most notable warmth is seen from the Huanghuai region to the Yangtze River basin, where such mild weather is rarely observed in mid-January.

Cities such as Hefei in Anhui province and Nanjing in Jiangsu province are expected to see daytime highs reach around 20 C, while daytime highs for Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Changsha in Hunan province may climb to about 22 C.

With little precipitation forecast nationwide, most regions will continue to experience scarce rain and snow, abundant sunshine, and dry conditions over the next three days, the administration said on Wednesday.

Forecasters caution that despite the daytime warmth, overnight and early-morning temperatures remain low, resulting in large temperature swings. "Daily differences of more than 15 C are likely in many places, making it feel like two seasons in one day," the administration said.

At the same time, cold conditions will persist or intensify in northern parts of the country as fresh cold air masses move in. From Wednesday to Friday, temperatures in Northeast China, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Gansu province, and parts of North China are expected to drop by 4 to 8 C, with some areas seeing declines of more than 10 C. Light to moderate snowfall is forecast for parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Northeast China.

Beginning around this weekend, a stronger cold air system is expected to sweep southward, affecting most regions nationwide. Temperatures in parts of Northeast China could fall below minus 30 C, significantly intensifying the cold. In other parts of the country, current above-average temperatures are expected to reverse and fall to below-normal levels. Rain and snow events are also developing across central and eastern regions in the coming days, forecasters said.