China is bracing for its most intense cold spell of the winter from Thursday to Monday, with temperatures expected to plummet by as much as 20 C in some areas, the meteorological administration said.

據氣象部門預計，1月23日至27日，中國將迎來今冬最強寒潮，部分地區降溫幅度可達20℃。

The cold wave will move from west to east, starting in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Thursday before sweeping through northwestern regions on Friday. It is expected to hit central and eastern areas over the weekend and reach northeastern and southern parts of the country by Monday.

寒潮將從西向東移動，1月23日開始影響新疆維吾爾自治區，1月24日席卷西北地區。預計本週末將影響中東部地區，並於1月27日抵達東北和南部地區。

Temperatures in most areas will drop by 8 to 12 C, with some regions, including Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, seeing decreases of up to 20 C.

大部分地區氣溫將下降8至12℃，內蒙古呼和浩特等地氣溫降幅可達20℃。

From Saturday to Tuesday, temperatures in Northwest and North China will hit new winter lows. The eastern part of Northwest China and the central-western part of North China are expected to be the hardest hit, with some areas seeing drops exceeding 14 C.

1月25日至28日，西北和華北地區氣溫將創入冬后新低。預計西北地區東部和華北地區中西部將受影響最為嚴重，局地降溫幅度將超過14℃。

Snowfall on Thursday will mainly affect northern Xinjiang, while snow is forecast for the eastern parts of Northwest China and North China from Friday to Saturday. Snow will continue in Northeast China on Sunday and Monday.

1月23日的降雪將主要影響新疆北部。1月24日至25日，中國西北地區東部和華北地區東部將有降雪。1月26日至27日，降雪將持續影響東北地區。

The meteorological administration warned that the cold wave and rain-snow conditions coincide with the Spring Festival travel rush, potentially affecting transportation. It urged drivers to reduce speeds and increase following distances when driving in wet and snowy conditions.

氣象部門警告稱，寒潮和雨雪天氣恰逢春運期間，可能會對交通運輸造成影響。該部門敦促駕駛員在雨雪天氣行駛時降低車速、增大車距。

Meanwhile, a senior forecaster said on Sunday that the winter will be increasingly characterized by extreme temperature swings, including sudden cold spells.

1月19日，一位高級預報員表示，今冬氣溫波動將愈發極端，包括突發寒潮。

"This winter has felt relatively mild so far, but it remains uncertain whether it will officially qualify as a warm winter," said Lin Nan, a meteorological analyst at the China Meteorological Administration.

中國氣象局氣象分析師林楠表示：“到目前為止，這個冬天感覺相對溫暖，但能否正式定為暖冬尚不確定。”

Temperatures in 22 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei province and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, were all above normal. Eastern Xinjiang, eastern Inner Mongolia, central and eastern Hunan, and southern Hubei saw temperatures more than 2 C higher than usual, with some areas exceeding 4 C above average.

北京市、天津市、河北省、內蒙古自治區等22個省、市、自治區氣溫均高於常年同期。新疆東部、內蒙古東部、湖南中東部、湖北南部氣溫較常年同期偏高2℃以上，局地超過4℃。

Lin attributed the milder temperatures to weaker cold air masses. As these air masses moved southeast, they warmed gradually under sunlight, resulting in shorter and less intense cold spells in central and eastern regions.

林楠表示，氣溫偏高是由於冷空氣勢力不強，而且在東移南下的過程中逐漸被光照加熱暖化，導致中東部地區寒潮持續時間短、強度小。

The lack of strong winds and precipitation also reduced wind chill and damp cold effects, making temperatures feel closer to actual readings, Lin said.

林楠指出，大風和降水天氣不多，因此風寒效應、濕冷效應相應減少，使得體感溫度更接近實際氣溫。

Despite the mild start to winter, Lin emphasized that periods of cold weather remain likely. Whether this winter will be classified as warm depends on the average temperature from December to February being 0.5 C higher than normal.

林楠強調，儘管今冬開局溫暖，但寒冷天氣仍可能出現。今冬能否被定為暖冬，取決於12月至2月的平均氣溫是否比常年偏高0.5℃。

"Even in a warm winter, there can be sharp temperature drops and cold spells," Lin said, challenging the perception that warm winters mean consistently mild weather.

林楠表示：“即使在暖冬，也可能出現氣溫驟降和寒潮，”打破了“暖冬”就是冬天一暖到底的觀念。

plummet

v.暴跌，急劇下降

precipitation

n.（尤指雨或雪的）降落；降水