Not Yet Wrapped Up: Beijing Heating Season Extended by Five Days
We might not need it, but we're getting it anyway: Beijing's central heating season will be extended five more days after yesterday's traditional Mar 15 cutoff date as nighttime temperatures fell below the freezing point last night and continue tonight.
Municipal management officials have said Beijing's central heating will now be turned off at midnight on Mar 20. The officials said they acted on the recommendations of the local meteorological department that warn of an oncoming cold front flanked with strong winds, bringing overnight temperatures of -1 degree Celsius last night and tonight.
After the sub-zero temperatures end today, city authorities have approved for the continuation of central heating for another three nights. With nighttime lows for the weekend and Monday expected to hover around 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, city officials have explained the extra heating days to be for "the stability of city residents."
Blue skies above Beijing yesterday
And yet, proving that "an ill wind that blows nobody any good," there is an upside to the weather.
Although the winds are strong enough to cause the city to issue a blue warning for gales, the same north winds are responsible for blowing away the heavy air pollution that settled over the city this week, putting an end to a lingering orange air pollution alert.
And, although the winds have put an end to this past week's summer-like weather (the warmest temperatures of the year so far), the forecast hints of a moderating effect to soon take place on Beijing temperatures. So, even though today's daytime high of 12 degrees Celsius will fall to 9 degrees Celsius by Tuesday, nighttime lows will gradually warm up to 3 degrees by Sunday.
As it were, this year's heating season was also extended on the opposite end, having started a day earlier than usual, just as it did in 2016 and 2012.
Photos: NetEase (163.com), Weibo (狮子座老宫)
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