Last weekend, heavy snowfall hit northern China, affecting regions north of the Yangtze River, with Beijing seeing its first snow of the season.
The snow and ice led to the suspension of over 180 bus routes in Beijing on Monday, and numerous trains and flights were delayed or canceled. Henan province, located south of Beijing, experienced significant snowfall, with some areas accumulating up to 150mm.
Shanxi province, southwest of Beijing, also faced winter weather, causing icy roads to result in a pile-up of more than 40 cars on Sunday night, which led to one fatality and six injuries.
A second, more severe cold front began impacting northern China on Thursday and is expected to spread through the weekend.
Spain experiences record high temperatures in December, impacting ski resorts with a lack of snow.This cold spell will likely bring further snowfall and plummeting temperatures, potentially setting record lows in some northern areas. For example, Shanghai, which saw temperatures of 23°C on Thursday, might drop to just 3°C by Saturday. South Korea and parts of Japan are also expected to experience significant temperature drops.
In contrast, Spain is facing record-high temperatures due to an unusually warm air mass affecting the Iberian Peninsula. Málaga recorded a maximum of 29.9°C on Tuesday, the highest December temperature ever in Spain. This warmth has caused issues for ski resorts, which remain largely snow-free.
South Australia experienced heavy rain over the weekend, resulting in power outages for around 30,000 homes and over 20,000 lightning strikes in Adelaide. The city has already received more than twice its average December rainfall.
Additionally, Tropical Cyclone Jasper struck northern Queensland on Wednesday, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain. With over 400mm of rainfall and winds reaching 75 mph, Jasper was downgraded on Thursday, but flooding risks persist.