Bitter cold snap grips China

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BEIJING, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Temperatures in Beijing are predicted to drop into the single digits during weekend -- the coldest it's been in almost 30 years, forecasters said.

Most of China will see temperatures drop between 3 and 4.5 Fahrenheit degrees over the weekend, but northern areas will see temperatures drop as much as 9 degrees, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

China's National Meteorological Center has issued a blue warning for the severe cold wave for regions in northern China.

In the country's capital, Beijing, temperatures may get down to 5 degrees F., the lowest temperature for the area since 1985, when a temperature of 4.64 degrees was recorded, Xinhua said.

In Beijing's mountainous northern suburb, temperatures may drop as low as -4 degrees F., forecasters said.