A strong cold wave has been sweeping across central and eastern China from the 14th to 17th of November, bringing a sharp temperature drop, strong winds and very little rain. According to China Weather Network, this is the first official cold wave of the second half of the year, with a wide impact area and large temperature swings.
Over the weekend, much of northern China took the first hit. On the morning of the 16th November, temperatures in Hohhot fell below −10 ℃ for the first time in half a year, while Lanzhou and Xining also set new low marks for the season.
The cold wave is now shifting south. In the Jianghuai and Jiangnan regions, cities such as Hefei, Wuhan and Nanjing are seeing “cliff-like” temperature falls of 10 to more than 15 degrees in just one or two days, with morning lows on the 18th and 19th of November expected to hover just above 0 ℃.
Around the 18th to 19th November, even South China will feel the full force of the cold air, with Fuzhou, Guangzhou and Haikou forecast to see daytime highs fall to around 15 ℃.
So what does all this mean for Hainan Island?
Hainan: Cloudy, Windy and Noticeably Cooler
From today, 17th November, Hainan comes clearly under the influence of stronger cold air. The Hainan Meteorological Department expects a marked cooling, more cloud, periods of light rain in the north of the island and strengthening winds at sea from today through 21st November.
17–21 November: Cooler days, chilly nights
From 17th to 21st November, a stronger cold air mass will dominate Hainan’s weather:
- Sky conditions
- The whole island will be mostly cloudy to overcast.
- From 17th to 19th November, light rain is expected in areas north of Wuzhishan.
- Daytime temperatures
- In regions north of Wuzhishan, daytime highs are expected to fall to 18 to 21 ℃.
- In regions south of Wuzhishan, highs will be relatively warmer but still cooler than before, at 22 to 25 ℃.
- Night-time temperatures
- In the central mountainous area and western inland counties, minimum temperatures will drop to 11 to 14 ℃.
- In other parts of the island, night-time lows will be 15 to 18 ℃.
Around 18th to 19th November, Haikou is expected to see daytime temperatures fall toward the mid-teens, making this one of the cooler spells of the second half of the year so far.
Staying Comfortable and Safe
Across China, this cold wave is characterised by strong winds, sharp cooling and relatively little rain. Winter is slowly taking hold, and in Hainan, it will appear in the form of a cooler breeze, thicker clouds and a noticeable drop in temperature, especially over the next few days.
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