Shanghai, China's financial hub, is on track to experience its coldest December period in forty years, prompting authorities to issue warnings for low temperatures and strong winds. On Thursday, the city is expected to face temperatures ranging from minus 4 to minus 6 degrees Celsius (21 to 24 degrees Fahrenheit) in its suburbs, with temperatures remaining below zero throughout the day. The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau highlighted this unusual cold spell, noting that the minimum temperature at a downtown reading station is forecasted to stay below zero for five consecutive days until December 25, a rare occurrence in December that hasn't been observed in four decades.
Despite Shanghai's temperatures being milder compared to those in northern China, where historically low temperatures have been recorded in recent weeks, the prolonged cold weather is noteworthy for the city. A surge of cold air from Siberia has brought frigid conditions across China since the middle of last week, causing many northern provinces to break December temperature records, with some cities experiencing lows as extreme as minus 30 degrees Celsius.
Residents in Shanghai, unaccustomed to such severe weather, have faced challenges, and the demand for heating has sharply increased. A 68-year-old resident remarked on the abnormal cold, emphasizing that this year is exceptionally colder than the previous one. The cold snap has disrupted transportation, increased the need for heating, and even impacted rescue efforts in earthquake-affected areas in the northwest.
While the snowfall in China may not match the intensity seen in North America and Europe, the combination of bitter cold, icy conditions, and gusty winds has created various difficulties. Power outages in some regions, frozen transmission lines, and challenges in firefighting due to freezing conditions have been reported. The extreme weather has also raised concerns about the safety of delivery drivers in the online food delivery sector, prompting calls to consider their well-being and potential income loss.
China's commerce ministry has announced measures to ensure a stable supply of daily necessities amid rising vegetable prices caused by the impact of the cold weather. National forecasters predict that the prolonged sub-freezing conditions will ease from Friday, with temperatures returning to historical averages next week.
