A Siberian cold wave hit Mongolia on Sunday, causing temperatures to plunge across the country to the lowest points this winter. Overnight temperature dropped to minus 50 degrees Celsius in western Mongolian province of Zavkhan, from Sunday to Monday, marking the coldest temperature in Mongolia since 2018. A temperature of minus 25 degrees is standard during winter.

Mongolia’s weather agency forecast the cold snap to affect nation’s capital city of Ulaanbaatar beginning Sunday due to a Siberian anticyclone coming from north of country. Overnight temperatures in other parts of the Central Asian country, including capital, has exceeded minus 40 degrees Celsius for few days.

The extreme cold weather is expected to continue through the entire week, the meteorological  agency said, urging the public, especially nomadic herders and drivers, to take extra precautions against possible disasters.

Fortunately, spring will come in Mongolia from next week when temperatures will be minus 7-10 Celsius.

Mongolia’s climate is strongly continental, with long and frigid weathers.