Severe cold weather has hit most parts of China, closing schools and highways in many cities. In Hong Kong, the Observatory said temperatures could fall to as low as seven degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Affected by a strong Siberian cold surge, snow is expected to fall in northern Guangdong in the coming days, a rare occurrence, authorities said.
In the eastern coastal province of Anhui, highways have been closed due to safety concerns. Meanwhile, Hangzhou authorities have announced the closure of schools for at least the next two days.
Shanghai is set to face severe frost and cold temperatures of up to minus seven degrees Celsius in the city, and up to minus ten degrees Celsius in the suburbs.
Due to the unusual weather, people have rushed out to buy food supplies. Shelves were cleared and vegetable market prices have also risen as a result.
Many areas in southern China now expect temperatures in the next few days to approach historical lows for the month of January.
While snow is unlikely to reach Hong Kong, temperatures are expected to hit a new low for the year on Sunday before edging back up next week.
The National Meteorological Authority of China has issued a blue cold weather warning across the nation. The Chinese weather system is a colour-coded four-tier ranking, going from blue, yellow, orange, to red, with red being the most severe.
