During a particularly cold winter in Beijing, locals say authorities’ rationing of indoor heating is too strict. That’s amid China’s ban on Australian coal—the resourced used to produce winter-time heat. Temperatures reached a historical low in Beijing and residents are suffering amid a lack of indoor heating. China is experiencing a colder winter than usual this year. In Beijing, temperatures have plunged to their lowest point since the 60s. On Thursday, temperatures dropped to a chilling negative 3 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lack of indoor heating may be correlated to China’s on-going coal shortage. It was recently reported that some power plants in China only have a few days of coal reserves left to produce electricity. Coal is the main resource used to produce power and heating for the country.