Heat on ahead of schedule as cold snap nears

By Wang Qian (China Daily)

09:33, October 31, 2012

Workers perform a final round of tests on heating pipes and equipment in a boiler room in Beijing on Tuesday. Zhang Yujun / for China Daily

Unseasonably cold weather forces government to act immediately

A cold front expected to move through most parts of China in the next nine days will lower temperatures by up to 14 degrees in some regions and bring snow and rain, according to forecasts.

Due to the cold snap, some areas in the northern part of the country - such as Beijing, Shenyang in Liaoning province and Zhangjiakou in Hebei province - will turn on their public heating systems ahead of schedule.

In Beijing, the public heating system will start operating on Sunday, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment.

In Shenyang, the heating system started operating on Tuesday, while in Zhangjiakou it was operating on Sunday.

Guo Weiqi, director of the heating office of the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment, said that his office asked heating companies to start operations ahead of schedule, to keep indoor temperatures comfortable before the sudden temperature drop in the capital.

According to the capital's meteorological bureau, the average temperature in Beijing this week is expected to range from 5 to 10 C, and it will be below 5 C from Saturday to Tuesday.

Snowfall may occur in some areas on Saturday, while the lowest temperature in Beijing will likely be below zero next week.

Central heating services, which are mainly used in North China, are generally turned on when average daily temperatures fall below 5 C for five straight days.

Sun Yuchun, the mother of a 3-year-old boy in Beijing, was excited when she heard that the heating system will be turned on ahead of schedule. She said that she had to use home heaters last week to keep indoor temperatures at an appropriate level for her son.

【1】【2】【3】