New records of low temperatures were registered on Thursday in China, as the country faces a persistent cold wave that ends a year of extreme weather conditions, AFP reported, quoted by Agerpres.

The National Weather Service announced that more than 20 stations across the country recorded record lows for December early Thursday.

This is the case of the city of Huh-Hoto, the capital of the Inner Mongolia region (northern China), where the mercury dropped to -29.1 degrees Celsius, breaking a record of about 70 years. Authorities have issued a low temperature warning for a large area in the north, east and southeast of the country.

This severe cold snap follows a summer marked by record temperatures and devastating floods, particularly in the north of the country. Experts warn that global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is making these extreme weather events more frequent.

The National Bureau of Meteorology said on Wednesday that five stations in the country recorded cold records, including a temperature of -33.2 degrees Celsius in the northern city of Datong.

In the northwestern province of Gansu, where Monday’s earthquake killed more than 130 people, survivors are spending the night in large tents, trying to stay warm under blankets despite sub-zero temperatures outside.