North Korean authorities have warned of severe weather conditions in the country due to a cold wave in the Korean Peninsula.
Temperatures are expected to drop below -30C in the northern regions, which are also the poorest parts of the country, the state radio broadcaster said.
According to official media, strong winds are also expected in the coastal areas.
South Korea has also issued a cold wave warning and northern China is experiencing record low temperatures.
Temperatures in Japan are also expected to drop to their lowest levels in a decade this week.
Although North Korea is affected by extreme or adverse weather like other places, little is known about its effects on its people.
Ryanggang, North Hamgyong and South Hamgyong, the country’s poorest provinces and expected to be most vulnerable to climate shocks, are all located in the north.
NK News reports that electricity use outside the capital, Pyongyang, is rare, with households burning wood and dry plants for warmth in winter.
It also states that many people use plastic wrap around their doors and windows for insulation.
Radio Free Asia reported in December that “large numbers” of people in the country went missing during another extreme winter late last year.
Many are believed to have starved or frozen to death, as the mercury dropped below freezing and food became scarce.
Food insecurity in North Korea is said to be the worst since widespread famine in the 1990s, according to Lucas Rengifo Keller, a research analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in the US.
Scientists say that severe weather, including cold waves, is becoming more common due to climate change.
The cold wave warnings on Tuesday came as Pyongyang prepares to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army next week.
