Worldwide Weather: Extreme Cold at -30 Degrees Celsius Swept Over Poorest Area of North Korea, Now Still 20 Degrees Below Zero

The most impoverished region of North Korea experienced extreme cold with temperatures falling to -30 degrees Celsius. Currently, the area is still below zero at -20 degrees. Worldwide weather updates show that North Korea is just one of the many countries experiencing severely low temperatures.

Worldwide Weather

Authorities in North Korea have issued warnings about severe weather as a cold wave continues to sweep through the Korean peninsula.

The northern regions of the country, which are also its poorest, experienced temperatures as low as -30C yesterday, Tuesday.

High winds are also anticipated in coastal areas, and China has been experiencing record-breaking cold temperatures, according to the BBC.

Meanwhile, East Asia was hit by icy winter weather for the second straight day on Wednesday, resulting in several fatalities and numerous injuries in Japan and a rush to get flights out of South Korea's resort island of Jeju due to snowstorm delays.

In Japan, widespread disruptions were caused by heavy snowfall and record-low temperatures.

The majority of the country has been experiencing subzero temperatures and icy conditions since Tuesday, but South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety did not immediately report any significant damage or injuries, AP News reports.

BBC News World says that although North Korea has experienced extreme or unfavorable weather, much less is known about how this has affected its population.

Poorest Places in North Korea and Extreme Cold

The poorest provinces in the nation and those thought to be most vulnerable to climatic shocks are all in the north: North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, and Ryanggang.

Outside of Pyongyang, the capital, electricity is rare, so households there use wood and dried plants to stay warm during the winter.

BBC sources also say that many people just wrap plastic wrap around their windows and doors for insulation. During a second particularly cold spell late in the previous year, "large numbers" of people across the nation went missing in December.

Many people are thought to have died from freezing or starvation as the temperature plunged below freezing and at the same time, food became scarce. Lucas Rengifo-Keller, a research analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in the US, claims that food insecurity in North Korea is at its worst since a widespread famine in the 1990s.

According to scientists, climate change is leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather, which includes cold waves.

The cold wave warnings on Tuesday come as Pyongyang gears up to commemorate the Korean People's Army's 75th anniversary the following week, BBC News reports.

Also Read: UK Weather Forecasts: Freezing Fog Causes Flight Delays, Travel Cancellations This Week

Northern North Korea Temperatures: January 25

Although North Hamgyong and South Hamgyong slightly warmed up after yesterday's extreme cold of -30 degrees Celsius, both areas are still in a cold spell of -13 and -14 degrees Celsius, respectively for today.

Ryanggang, on the other hand, is still at -21 degrees Celsius. The temperatures in the area will continue to dip down to -23 Thursday and -26 degrees Celsius on Friday. Temperatures in Ryanggang will stay in the negative double digits until Wednesday next week, according to The Weather Channel.