Chinese meteorological authorities updated their blue alerts on Tuesday for a cold wave and strong winds as a powerful cold front continued to hit the country, according to Xinhua News Agency.
"The cold wave has already affected all northern regions and is extending southward," said Yang Shunan, chief meteorologist at the National Meteorological Center.
Significant temperature drops of 6 to 10 degrees Celsius were recorded in northeastern and northern regions, such as Inner Mongolia, and in some localities, temperatures plummeted by 12 to 14 degrees, Yang added.
The cold front will continue to move east and south from Tuesday to Wednesday, bringing strong winds and lower temperatures. "The cold wave is expected to ease on Thursday," Yang added, advising residents to stay warm, minimize unnecessary outdoor activities, and avoid temporary structures like billboards when outdoors.
China has a four-level color-coded weather alert system, where red represents the most severe alert, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.
Nighttime temperature drops to -43°C in Western Mongolia nNighttime temperatures fell to -43°C in Tosontsengel soum, an administrative subdivision of Mongolia's western Zavkhan province, from Monday to Tuesday, according to the country's weather monitoring agency.
This figure marked the coldest temperature recorded in Mongolia this winter, the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring said in a statement on Tuesday.
Since last weekend, strong winds and snowstorms have hit the country's western and central regions, causing temperature drops.
The extreme cold is expected to continue until Wednesday, the agency said, urging the public, especially herders and nomadic drivers, to take extra precautions against possible disasters.
Mongolia's winter is long and harsh: temperatures there can range from -25 to 45°C.
