CNN –
Beijing recorded its longest cold spell since records began in 1951 as biting temperatures and snowfall eased in the Chinese capital and elsewhere.
The temperature recorded at the Nanjiao weather station in Beijing rose above zero degrees Celsius on Sunday afternoon for the first time in days, state media Beijing Daily reported.
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A giant panda rests in a tree at a zoo after a snowfall in Beijing.
“Since the temperature fell below zero for the first time on December 11, the temperature has remained below this limit for more than 300 hours,” Beijing Daily wrote.
A severe cold snap gripped most of China this month, pushing the heating capacity of some cities in northern China to the limit.
There were several system failures in the central Chinese province of Henan.
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People hold a rope as they climb down an icy section of the Great Wall of China.
In the city of Jiaozuo, heating was partially stopped after a malfunction at the Wanfang power plant on Friday. According to the city's official newspaper, Jiaozuo Daily, the problem was resolved on Saturday and heating is expected to resume on Sunday evening.
Two other cities in the province, Puyang and Pingdingshan, have cut heating at most government buildings and state-owned enterprises since Friday to “prioritize limited heating resources for hospitals, schools and residential buildings,” according to statements from the governments of the two cities.
The cold weather in the capital Beijing began days ago and has caused problems with the city's subway system.
Hundreds of commuters, dozens of them with broken bones, were hospitalized in Beijing earlier this month after two trains collided on a busy subway line during snowfall, the city's transportation authority said.
The bitter temperatures also hampered rescue efforts after a deadly earthquake this month in northwestern Gansu province.