New record low temperatures were recorded in China on Thursday as the country experienced a prolonged cold snap to cap a year of extreme weather.
The National Weather Bureau said more than 20 stations in multiple locations across the area recorded historic lows for the month of December in the early hours of Thursday.
This was particularly the case in Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia region (northern China), where the mercury temperature fell to -29.1 degrees Celsius, breaking a nearly 70-year-old record.
Authorities have issued a low temperature warning for a wide area in the north, east and southeast of the country.
This severe cold snap follows a summer that was characterized by record heat and devastating floods, particularly in the north of the country.
Experts warn that global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is causing these extreme weather events to occur more frequently.
The National Meteorological Bureau said on Wednesday that five stations in the country recorded record cold temperatures, including -33.2 degrees in the northern city of Datong.
In northwestern Gansu province, where an earthquake killed more than 130 people on Monday, survivors are spending the night in large relief tents, trying to stay warm under blankets despite the freezing temperatures outside.