ChinaThe country’s meteorological bureau has confirmed that the northernmost city has set a new record for the lowest temperature ever recorded amid a week-long cold snap.
in Mohe, China Heilongjiang The province saw a temperature of -53C on Sunday morning, the first day of the lunar year.
This breaks the city’s previous record of -52.3C, set in 1969, and is close to China’s national record of -58C, recorded in Genhe. Inner Mongoliain 2009.
Twelve weather stations in Heilongjiang also recorded temperatures close to or below their record low temperatures late last week, the bureau said.
The extreme cold follows last year’s prolonged heat and drought in China, which was broken by above-average rain that caused flooding in many areas.
Located close to the Russian border, Mohe is also called China’s “North Pole” and temperatures are near or below freezing during January. The city also sees a long winter, which lasts for about eight months.
The temperature in the city has been below -50C for the past three days, with many experts describing it as unprecedented.
China’s meteorological authority has issued a ‘blue alert’ for a cold wave, predicting large temperature drops and thunderstorms across most of the country’s central and eastern regions.
Meanwhile, in the world’s coldest city – Yakutsk, in neighboring Russia – the temperature plunged to -62.7C, the coldest in more than two decades.
Experts say that extreme temperatures increase the chances of frostbite and hypothermia, leading to life-threatening conditions; A temperature of -50C can cause frostbite in five minutes.
While temperatures between 0C and -20C are not cause for alarm, anything below -20C or worse “can make you really start to worry about things like frostbite, if you’re outside,” according to the Australian Antarctic Division. Roland Wetzel, deputy chief medical officer, said.
At -20C frostbite takes about half an hour to develop and aspects of daily life, such as walking, become increasingly difficult. However, when the temperature drops below -20C, the difference becomes “painful” and frostbite occurs in only 2-5 minutes, Dr.
“You go from bitter cold to painfully cold, almost instantly,” he said. “Being outside is also painful. Anything exposed to air becomes painful and frostbite develops in 2 to 5 minutes. Just breathing can be painful because you are actually breathing cold air directly into your lungs.
The US National Weather Service states that wind chills of -45C can freeze skin within minutes, with skin immediately turning red when exposed to such cold air.