Cold wave grips China after snow wreaks havoc in Beijing
Temperatures are expected to drop across China this weekend as parts of the country suffer widespread disruptions caused by wintry conditions and heavy rain, including a subway crash in Beijing that left hundreds of commuters in hospital.
The cold snap comes after an abnormally warm autumn, when the country recorded its warmest October in decades. The average high temperature in the capital dropped to about 15 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 9 degrees Celsius) on Saturday, after hovering around 50 degrees last week.
Across China, meteorologists issued warnings of low temperatures and strong winds on Saturday, saying a “strong cold wave” was spreading icy winds across the country that were expected to last until next week. Temperatures could drop to historic lows in some parts of China, according to the China Meteorological Administration. And colder-than-average conditions are expected in northern China through the end of the year, forecasters said.
President Xi Jinping on Friday called for “every effort” to prevent and respond to emergencies related to the cold and snow, the Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily said. He added that heavy rain and snow had put pressure on the country’s electricity and transport networks and ordered officials to increase the supply of coal, electricity, oil and gas.
Severe winter conditions hit northern China earlier last week, with the first snow of the season falling on Sunday. Two days later, meteorologists in Beijing issued a snowstorm warning. Train and bus routes across the city were suspended. On Wednesday, most schools switched to remote learning.
The next day, two subway trains crashed during the evening rush hour, leaving 515 people in hospital, including 102 with broken bones, Beijing’s transport authority said on Friday. Slippery tracks had forced a train to make an emergency stop, leading to a collision with another train behind it.
Some users on Chinese social media reacted with shock to the number of injuries.
“We express our sincere condolences and deep apologies to the passengers who were stranded, frightened and injured in this accident,” the Beijing Municipal Transport Commission said. said in a statement. “We will improve extreme weather operations and emergency response plans to ensure the safety of urban operations.”
After the crash, all trains on the Changping Line, where the collision occurred, ran at reduced speeds to navigate dangerous conditions, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Authorities urged caution due to icy roads across the country.
Elsewhere in the country, cold temperatures and strong winds forced authorities on Saturday to suspend dozens of passenger ferry routes in the southeastern coastal province of Guangdong. South Korea and parts of Japan are expected to experience a similarly drastic drop in temperatures this weekend.