Beijing issued a blue alert for an upcoming cold wave on Thursday afternoon, as the city braces for a significant drop in temperatures from Friday to Sunday, with the lowest temperatures expected to fall by more than 10 degrees Celsius, according to the local meteorological service.
Zhai Liang, the chief forecaster at the municipal meteorological service, noted that the cold air will bring rain, strong winds, and a noticeable decline in temperatures over the next few days. Higher-altitude mountainous areas around the city are likely to experience sleet.
Starting Friday night, temperatures in Beijing will drop by 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. On Sunday, the daytime high is expected to hover around 10 degrees Celsius, while nighttime lows will fall to approximately 3 degrees Celsius. In mountainous regions, temperatures could dip below freezing. Temperatures in the city will begin to gradually rise again starting on October 21, according to Zhai.