China Braces for Severe Cold Wave with Strong Winds
A powerful cold wave is sweeping across China, bringing with it strong winds that are overshadowing the effects of snow and rain. The National Meteorological Center has issued a series of warnings, highlighting the potential impact of these winds.
On Friday morning, a yellow warning, the third severest in the four-tier warning system, was renewed for strong winds. Gusts of up to 32 meters per second are expected in several regions, including parts of Northeast China, North China, and the Yellow River-Huaihe River region. Powerful winds are also anticipated in some areas of the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea.
In Beijing, the wind intensity reached notable extremes from Thursday to Friday. The maximum wind speed detected at a mountain observatory in Yanqing district reached 40.2 meters per second. More than half of the 311 monitoring stations in the capital recorded gusts with a speed of 19 meters per second or higher during the same period. This level of wind is unusual for early February, with historical data showing the strongest gust recorded at the Beijing station was 21.9 meters per second on February 8, 1994.
The cold air event involves a very strong cold air mass rapidly moving southward from Siberia and its center passing just over the North China region, crossing directly over Beijing. This has led to a blue alert for a cold wave being renewed on Friday morning. From Friday to Saturday, a cold wave is expected to chill China, causing temperature drops in parts of the northwest and northern regions, the Yellow River-Huaihe River region, most parts of the southern region, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the Western Sichuan Plateau. In some regions, the temperature drop could exceed 10 degrees Celsius.
The strong winds could pose challenges for transportation, potentially leading to delays or temporary stops for trains, especially during the Spring Festival travel rush. Authorities have advised the public to secure outdoor decorations and structures, ensure safety for high-altitude work, and take precautions against urban and forest fires.
9 Comments
Pupsik
“Thanks to the authorities for keeping us informed. These strong winds can really be dangerous, especially during travel.”
Muchacho
“Reports like these only make you anxious about a normal seasonal change. No need for such dramatic language.”
ZmeeLove
“I’m tired of the constant doom and gloom predictions. Cold waves are natural—this is common, not catastrophic.”
Comandante
“The alerts and data put the situation into perspective. I’m glad they’re not holding back on important warnings.”
Mariposa
“I’m taking their advice seriously. Better to be over-prepared when forecasts indicate such severe wind conditions.”
ZmeeLove
“I can’t believe how many warnings are being issued. It seems more like a tactic to justify restrictions during the travel period.”
Africa
“Every time a cold snap hits, they exaggerate the facts. It’s just nature doing its thing—nothing more.”
Mariposa
“Solid information that helps us plan our day. I'm taking extra precautions for my outdoor decorations now.”
Muchacha
“The coverage of the wind speeds seems cherry-picked. Other regions didn’t report such extremes, so why single out Beijing?”