Snow and sleet amid China deep freeze

China is seeing some of the coldest weather experienced in years, with authorities warning of unusually low temperatures lasting into the week.

The country saw a cold spell strike over the weekend, with even southern regions such as Guangdong seeing snow.

Residents of the provincial capital of Guangzhou, which normally sees balmier weather, were delighted by the rare occurrence.

Online, Guangzhou residents shared pictures of tiny snowmen that they had made on the microblogging network Weibo.

In Hong Kong record low temperatures of about 3 C on Sunday saw tourists and locals alike bundling up in warm clothing. Schools and kindergartens were closed across the city on Monday.

At Tai Mo Shan, a popular hiking spot in Hong Kong, the temperature plunged to sub-zero levels leading to difficulty among several hikers, who had to be helped off the peak by emergency services.

Other places in the east and north of China which are accustomed to cold weather also saw unusually low temperatures. In the eastern city of Qingdao, fishing boats were stuck in frozen waters.

Much of the eastern city of Hangzhou was also frozen, making for stunning icy winter landscapes.

The cold and heavy snow in some parts have affected transport links across the country, slowing down traffic and closing off highways in some places. In the central Jiangxi province rail workers have been clearing snow off the tracks.

In Beijing, some swimming enthusiasts jumped into the Houhai lake over the weekend where the water temperature was 1 C.

And in the city of Hulun Buir, in Inner Mongolia which has seen sub-zero temperatures, policemen patrolling the streets have endured ice forming on their faces.