Introducing Mohe, China's Northernmost City Which Sets The Coldest Temperature Record, Minus 53 Degrees

JAKARTA - The temperature in China's northernmost city, Mohe, fell to minus 53 degrees. And this is the coldest temperature ever recorded, meteorologists say.

Mohe is located in northeastern Heilongjiang province. He is closer to Russian Siberia and is known as the "North Pole of China".

The temperature in Mohe at 7 a.m. on January 22, also the first day of the Lunar New Year, recorded minus 53 degrees. This beat the previous record of minus 52.3 degrees in 1969, officials said.

China's meteorological authority is forecasting a large drop in temperatures in parts of the country and issuing a cold blue wave on Monday.

In neighboring Russia, Yakutsk, which is reputed to be the coldest city in the world, saw temperatures drop to minus 62.7 degrees. This is the coldest temperature in more than two decades.

Winters in Mohe are long and begin in early October, often lasting until May. The average temperature during this period is known to drop below freezing, experts say.

No warning has been issued on Mohe yet, but local meteorologists say the cold snap will continue into the week.