CHINA is currently facing its harshest winter in years with extreme sub-zero temperatures causing birds to freeze to death.
The bone-chilling -52 blast saw a commuter being encased in ice after he rode a bicycle home from work for nearly an hour in freezing rain.
Hundreds of birds froze to death in a lake in Xinjiang
The man’s clothes are entirely covered in ice
AsiaWireThe country is facing its worst winter in decades[/caption]
AsiaWireA strong hailstorm caused the roads to flood in Zhejiang[/caption]
Harrowing footage shows how the plunging temperatures caused thousands of birds to freeze to death in a lake in Xinjiang.
Another clip shows a pack of wolves trying to tunnel through the thick snow in the same area.
Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man was forced to travel on his bike for six miles across Linyi, in China‘s eastern Shandong Province, after severe winter storms crippled public transport.
While making his way through the rainy and snowy weather for almost an hour, his clothes were frozen.
Footage filmed by his wife the moment he arrived home shows her and their son poking at the thin ice covering his jacket and trousers.
She said: “I especially feel sorry for him; earning money to support the family is not easy.”
Heavy snow has disrupted travel in many parts of China, forcing authorities to close down highways and cancel classes following the Chinese New Year holiday.
The National Meteorological Centre (NMC) issued an orange alert, the highest in the country’s three-tier system on Wednesday as temperatures dropped across the south.
The NMC also called on local governments “for necessary measures to protect crops and aquatic products.”
The staggering cold spell broke the record of – 51.5C set on January 21, 1960.
Freezing rain and snow are expected to continue until 26th February, local media reported.
The worst-hit areas are expected to be parts of Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, the central province of Hubei and Hunan in the south.
More dramatic footage shows a river of hail blocking traffic and almost dragging vehicles along the road.
The video shows several cars being swept through the city of Qingtian, in China‘s eastern Zhejiang Province.
Following the hailstorm, emergency services rushed to the scene to assist the stranded passersby and motorists and clear the debris from the flooded streets.
Chinese media revealed that the storm caused extensive damage to vehicles and infrastructure, leaving roads impassable and disrupting traffic for hours.
One local said: “The roads have turned into conveyor belts.”
Authorities issued warnings urging residents to remain indoors as cleanup efforts proceeded in the aftermath of the event.
The videos triggered many comments after they were shared on China‘s version of TikTok, Douyin, later that evening.
One said: “Am I dazzled? Why are the car and the ice on the road moving?”
Someone asked: “Is there something wrong with my eyes? Why is the road moving?”
And another one added: “Why is it flowing?”
AsiaWireFreezing temperatures have battered China in the past few days[/caption]
AsiaWireThe hailstorm caused roads to be flooded in Qingtian, Zhejiang on Wednesday[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
