In the wake of Beijing's first winter snowfall on December 11th, a playful giant panda delighted visitors at the Beijing Zoo by rolling around in the freshly blanketed snow. This whimsical scene provided a stark contrast to the severe cold snap that has gripped the Chinese capital, resulting in freezing temperatures across northern China. Yair Ben-Dor has more.
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00:00 In the wake of Beijing's first winter snowfall on December 11th, a playful giant panda delighted
00:06 visitors at the Beijing Zoo by rolling around in the freshly blanketed snow.
00:10 This whimsical scene provided a stark contrast to the severe cold snap that has gripped the
00:16 Chinese capital, resulting in freezing temperatures across northern China.
00:21 According to Reuters, as the city faced a second cold wave on December 13th, disruptions
00:27 ensued across town, leading to the suspension of train services and the temporary closure
00:32 of all schools, with classes transitioning to online platforms.
00:37 The current frigid conditions stand in sharp contrast to the autumn-like weather of last
00:42 week.
00:43 Beijing, with its nearly 22 million residents, is bracing for potentially record-breaking
00:47 low temperatures, with forecasts predicting a plunge to as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius
00:54 - that's minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit - over the weekend.
00:58 As the city navigates this extreme cold spell, residents are grappling with unprecedented
01:04 weather challenges and adapting to the disruptions in daily life caused by the abrupt winter
01:09 weather shift.
01:11 But at the very least, the pandas are having fun, and nothing warms your heart and your
01:16 bones like a happy panda.
01:17 (upbeat music)