A severe cold wave hit many parts of China over the weekend with heavy snowfalls and rapidly declining temperatures.

The cold-air outbreak,     1     is the most widespread early one in decades, is affecting 1.18 billion people and 90 percent of the regions across the country. The cold wave also brought chilly weather     2    (condition) to many parts of the north, along     3    rain and snow, posing serious challenges to transport, agriculture and energy supplies. Authorities warned people to stay inside and reduce outdoor activities.

So, why are we experiencing such a freezing winter on a warming planet?

According to an expert, one reason is that global warming does not appear     4    (equal) and brings about more extreme heat and cold. He said global warming has changed the patterns of atmospheric     5    (circulate) of the Earth,     6    (affect) the local climate via sea-air or land-air interaction. In October, La Nina started to affect China, bringing more cold air to the country. Meanwhile, statistics     7    (release) by the World Meteorological Organization show that 2016, 2019 and 2020 were the three     8    (hot) years on record.

    9    reason for the cold weather is the warming Arctic. The Arctic is warming two to three times as fast as any other place on Earth, he said, adding that the polar vortex (涡旋) weakens as the temperature     10    (go) up, pushing the cold Arctic air southward.