Cold snap leaves many freezing in NW China

• Source: Global Times
• [02:22 December 24 2009]
• Comments

A woman clears the snow in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 23. 2009. The temprature in some parts of the autonomous region fell to 40 degreeds below zero due to the affection of the strong old air blowing from Siberia. (Xinhua photo)

The cold snap also hit northwestern Shaanxi Province Tuesday and brought down temperatures by 10 C, causing a run on gas supplies.

A spokesman with Xi'an Qinhua Natural Gas Corp said the city's gas consumption had topped 5 million cubic meters daily, more than three times the normal 1.5 million cubic meters.

He said the sudden freeze have increased demand for gas and his company would consider capping industrial and commercial gas consumption to meet demand.

The National Meteorological Center has warned the cold wave will also affect the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jinlin and Heilongjiang, and North China with Beijing at the center.

It said the average temperature in these regions will drop by 8 to 12 C from Wednesday afternoon to Friday.

Global Times – Xinhua