Over the weekend, eastern China experienced extreme weather, with heavy snowstorms and record heat striking different regions. In one province, residents battled through heavy snowfall, while on the coast, people were enjoying ice cream in warm temperatures.
On Sunday, blizzards hit the eastern province of Shandong, located south of Beijing, with snow accumulating up to 13 centimeters (5.1 inches) in some areas. Photos from the provincial capital, Jinan, showed locals wrapped in warm clothing, workers clearing snow from the streets, and parks featuring freshly made snowmen.
City officials issued two red alerts for road ice and blizzard hazards, while several districts canceled classes for Monday.
Travel was also affected, with multiple high-speed rail lines in the province experiencing delays.
About 400 miles down the coast in Shanghai, a major financial hub, residents experienced an unusually hot weekend.
The city, with a population of nearly 25 million, recorded its hottest early March in over 150 years.
On Saturday, temperatures broke an early March record, and they climbed even higher on Sunday, reaching 28.5 degrees Celsius (83 Fahrenheit). Taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather, locals were seen outdoors in t-shirts and shorts, enjoying ice cream in the sun, and children playing in public fountains.
Temperatures in Shanghai are expected to cool down in the coming days. However, the starkly different weather conditions across the country highlight the increasingly erratic climate, which in recent years has led to extreme heat, extended droughts, and severe flooding.
Last year was China’s hottest on record since nationwide data began over 60 years ago, and in Shanghai, it was the warmest year since the Qing dynasty, as reported by local authorities.