Cold wave freezes most of China, shutting highways, roads

People ride bicycles on a road covered by snow following snowfall in Beijing on Dec 15, 2023. - Reuters

BEIJING: A cold wave extended its grip over China on Friday (Dec 15) with temperatures plummeting to below freezing across most of the country, causing authorities to limit traffic flows on highways in several provinces after vehicles collided on icy patches.

Temperatures will drop to below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and in the region of Xinjiang in the northwest, along with Inner Mongolia and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai, according to forecasts from China's National Meteorological Centre.