Beijing hit with frigid temperatures

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- China is in a winter deep freeze this week with temperatures in some regions the coldest they've been in nearly 30 years, forecasters say.

The low temperatures brought along snowfall, causing traffic delays in parts of the country, the South China Morning Post reported Monday.

China's National Meteorological Office said the cold spell was easing, but temperatures were staying low in central and eastern regions.

The temperature plunged to -56 degrees Fahrenheit in Xinjiang county Sunday and NMO forecasters said temperatures in the mountainous areas outside Beijing got down to as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit. In Beijing's urban area, it reached 3 degrees, surpassing the record-low of 4.6 degrees set in 1985.