Chinese authorities issued a weather warning on Wednesday amid a severe cold snap in the southern half of the country, while the capital Beijing was blanketed in snow.
The highest alert level of orange has been renewed, with temperatures expected to fall by 6 to 12 degrees by Friday in southern areas, where temperatures are generally expected to be mild in winter.
In some places in Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi provinces and the Guangxi region, the mercury could even drop by more than 20 degrees, the National Meteorological Center said.
The latter “urged local authorities to take precautionary measures against the cold, advise the public to keep warm” and “protect crops and aquatic products,” according to the New China news agency.
In Beijing, where temperatures hovered around freezing on Wednesday, residents woke up to a white-covered capital after heavy snowfall overnight.
Traffic on the city's expressways slowed while plowed sidewalks remained slippery in places for pedestrians.
City officials have issued alerts to warn residents about icy roads in some areas.