A new wave of cold air is sweeping across north and east China over the past days, bringing heavy snowfall and drastic temperature drops of up to 20 degrees Celsius to multiple provinces including the provinces of Shandong and Hebei.
In Shandong, 10 cities and 49 county-level regions had been blanketed in snow as of 14:00 on Sunday.
The Shandong meteorological observatory renewed a yellow alert for icy roads and a blue alert for cold wave on Sunday.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Jinan, capital city of Shandong Province, has experienced a heavy snow and a temperature drop of more than 20 degrees Celsius within 24 hours.
The city's traffic police has mobilized nearly 2,000 officers and more than 600 vehicles to ensure smooth traffic, and the urban management authorities have deployed more than 16,000 sanitation workers, over 800 sprinkler trucks, and over 400 snowplows to clear ice and snow from roads.
In Wudi County, Binzhou City of Shandong, the cumulative snowfall exceeded 10 millimeters on Sunday afternoon, with winds reaching Force 7 or higher.
The cold wave has slashed the temperature inside local greenhouses from above 30 degrees Celsius to around 10 degrees Celsius, threatening ripe vegetables like zucchinis and tomatoes as well as watermelon seedlings.
Local authorities have dispatched agricultural experts to instruct farmers on site to take targeted measures to avoid economic losses.
In Dingtao District, Heze City of Shandong, a heavy rain triggered waterlogging on some low-lying roads on Sunday, along with a temperature freefall to 0 degrees Celsius.
"The weather is like a roller coaster. The highest temperature in the past two days stood at over 20 degrees Celsius, and then it suddenly dropped since yesterday. I have put on my down jacket again," said Jia Shu, a local resident.
Due to the cold wave, most areas in Hebei Province have been hit by blizzards since Saturday night, and the daily highest temperatures have returned to single-digit levels.
The provincial meteorological observatory issued a blue alert for strong winds on Sunday morning.
Amid the drastic drop of temperatures,locals have put on their winter clothes, and the extreme weather has also disrupted traffic.
"I feel very cold when I get out. The winds are strong, and it's rainy. I could apparently feel the roads are slippery when driving," said a local resident.
Cold wave hits north, east China, causing drastic temperature drops
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
