China's deep freeze triggers power cuts

A frigid Siberian cold front gripping northern and central China has caused coal and power shortages as residents try to keep warm, state press says.

Temperatures early on Wednesday in Beijing fell to minus 16 degrees Celsius - the lowest in the capital since 1971 - as rare snow fell in central and eastern China, the state weather bureau said.

The icy weather has strained the nation's power grid, with the eastern city of Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong and Hubei cutting power to some areas as they rationed electricity, the China Business News reported.

Rolling blackouts could also occur in other regions, it said, amid forecasts of continued cold weather in central and eastern regions where such temperatures are extremely rare.