Global Weather Headlines Include Deadly Storms in Australia and Record Cold in China

Posted: December 29, 2023 9:21 am

The global weather headlines this week include a deadly storm roaring through Australia and wreaking havoc and a record-breaking cold wave in China. Here is a peek at what is happening around the world over the last few days.

Record-Breaking Cold Wave Envelops Beijing

While temperatures are finally on the upswing, it has been a bitterly cold stretch of days for the capital city of China. The city of Beijing recorded its longest cold wave on record as the mercury plummeted and snow pounded the region. The Beijing Nanjiao weather station hit the freezing mark on Sunday for the first time in days, according to data from the country’s state media agency.

The temperatures first dropped below the freezing mark on December 11. Since that time, the readings have been at this level for over 300 hours, making it the longest stretch of such temperatures in history.

The heating capacity in some of the communities in the northern part of the country has not been able to keep up with the strong demand. For instance, the province of Henan has experienced several system failures. A malfunction at the Wanfang power plant in the city of Jiaozuo on Friday caused heating to fail for a time. While the problem was diagnosed the next day, the heating element did not start working again until late Sunday.

The cities of Puyang and Pingdingshan have also had to resort to cutting the heat sources to many government buildings since Friday so that the energy could be allocated to schools, hospitals, and residential buildings.

The freezing temperatures have also disrupted travel. Snowy conditions in Beijing triggered a crash on the city’s metro system earlier in the month. Dozens of riders were sent to the hospital with broken bones as a result of the accident.

China cannot catch a break when it comes to extreme weather this month. A deadly earthquake in the northwestern province of Gansu occurred during the cold snap, hampering the search and rescue efforts in the wake of the event.

Deadly Storm Leaves at Least Two Dead in Australia

Down in the Southern Hemisphere, it has been extreme weather of a different sort that has been impacting Australia. At least two fatalities have been blamed on a series of severe storms that roared through the eastern part of the nation on Christmas Day. A rash of thunderstorms affected Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland on Monday, ushering in strong winds, hail, and torrential rain.

According to an update from the Bureau of Meteorology, the severe weather lingered through the following day and into the middle of the week. State-owned electric company Energex said on Tuesday that over 120,000 customers were in the dark after the storm cells brought down over 800 power lines in South East Queensland.

Meanwhile, New South Wales’ State Emergency Service confirmed that its crews responded to over 490 incidents related to the severe weather on Monday alone. Queensland’s Fire and Emergency said that it was called out to over 600 incidents. Victoria took the brunt of the inclement weather with over 1,300 calls for assistance between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

Law enforcement officials in Victoria said that a man lost his life when a tree branch fell on top of him on a piece of private property. The tragic event happened at about 9 am local time Tuesday in Gippsland. Additionally, a woman died on Monday night in south-east Queensland, also by a falling tree.

Local officials are warning residents to stay abreast of the forecast of incoming storms in the days ahead.

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