China's freeze begins to thaw as cold weather alert ends

After enduring an extended period of freezing cold temperatures since mid-December, China is finally seeing a thaw, as most parts of the country experience a gradual warming trend.

The National Meteorological Center lifted the cold weather alert on Sunday, signaling the end to the bone-chilling conditions that had gripped the nation.

Since this week, most of the country is expected to see a decrease in precipitation, with temperatures rising to near or above seasonal averages, the center said.

Since mid-December, many northern areas experienced the coldest time of the winter, while the south faced a sharp drop in temperatures.

Several regions, including Yunnan, Guizhou, Zhejiang and Hunan provinces, witnessed a drastic drop by up to 25 C.

As of Sunday morning, during this intense cold spell, 78 meteorological stations across the country recorded daily minimum temperatures breaking historical records for the same period.

Over the period, the average temperatures in the regions of northern China, the Yellow River region, northeastern China and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region were the lowest since the weather documentation began in 1961.

On Dec 19, the daily minimum temperature in Tulihe town, Inner Mongolia, plummeted to -45 C, marking the lowest temperature recorded nationwide during this period of intense cooling.