1. UNUSUAL COLD WEATHER HITS EASTERN ASIA COUNTRIES January 23-24, 2016 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA

2. Unusual cold weather in eastern Asia has caused more than 65 deaths, disrupted transportation and brought the first snow to a subtropical city in southern China in almost 50 years

3. TAIWAN

4. TAIWAN: PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF IMPACTS Temperatures in Taiwan's capital of Taipei (which are usually 16 degrees Celsius in January) plunged to a 16- year low of 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit). Taiwan’s highest peaks received 9 cm (3 inches) of snow.

5. TAIWAN: PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF IMPACTS Most homes in subtropical Taiwan lack central heating, and the cold caused heart trouble and breathing problems for many of the elderly victims Preliminary reports indicate 65 to 85 deaths.

6. JAPAN: PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF IMPACTS Heavy snow in western and central Japan left six people dead. Heavy snow stranded motorists, delayed bullet train service and caused flight cancellations.

7. MAINLAND CHINA: PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF IMPACTS Most parts of mainland China experienced their coldest weather in decades over the weekend. The southern city of Guangzhou, which has a humid subtropical climate, saw snow for the first time since 1967 on Sunday.

8. MAINLAND CHINA: PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF IMPACTS The cold spell caused by a 6-8 degree Celsius drop coincided with the beginning of the 40-day travel rush for the Lunar New Year, which is on Feb. 8 this year, disrupting cars, flights and trains. More than 11,000 passengers were stranded at Kunming airport in southern Yunnan province..

9. SOUTH KOREA: PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF IMPACTS Temperatures in the capital, Seoul, fell to minus 18 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the lowest since 2001.

10. SOUTH KOREA: PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF IMPACTS On Saturday, Jeju Island received 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) of snow, the heaviest since 1984, and its airport was closed from Saturday until Monday. The shutdown stranded about 86,000 people, mostly tourists, on the island and forced the cancellations of about 1,100 flights.