This week a major weather front created a massive winter storm which blanketed much of the upper east coast of the United States.
Oddly a place which is not known for cold weather throughout Asia has also been hit by a cold snap – Taipei, Taiwan.
The cold wave quickly pushed temperatures to a 16-year-low of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold snap is being blamed for killing at least 57 people throughout greater Taipei’s area.
The noted death count is mostly related to elderly citizens with breathing issues and shortness of breath. Taiwan homes lack central heating systems, creating issues in a region that is unprepared for such drastic temperature changes.
A city spokesman for Taipei said “In our experience, it’s not the actual temperature, but the sudden drop is too sudden for people’s circulatory systems.”
The cold front left 3 1/2 inches of snow on Taipei’s highest peak this past Sunday – stranding many vehicles of those who headed into the mountains to see the snowfall.
Monday, temperatures in Hong Kong fell to 34 degrees Fahrenheit, the lowest recording in almost 60 years.
Over 200 people had to be rescued by local firefighters after they chased the frost and headed into higher peaks, many were rescued due to hypothermia, as reported by the Hong Kong Free Press.
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