BUCHAREST, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Romania will face a sharp cold snap in early February, with nighttime temperatures dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius in mountain depressions and daytime highs falling below zero in the northeastern area, the weather service said on Thursday.
Warmer-than-usual conditions would persist briefly, with temperatures rising slightly on Thursday and possibly Friday, reaching 14 to 15 degrees Celsius in southern and southeastern regions and about 10 to 11 degrees in Bucharest, said Elena Mateescu, director general of the National Meteorological Administration (ANM), on local broadcaster Digi24.
Rain is expected in lowland areas, while there will be sleet and snow above an altitude of 1,500 meters due to lower temperatures in mountainous regions.
From early February, colder air will spread across the country, with daytime temperatures in northern Moldova dropping to between minus 7 and minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Nighttime and early morning temperatures will become increasingly cold nationwide, with widespread frost and severe cold expected to last until next Wednesday, the ANM said.
The weather agency added that February is likely to bring snowfall and mixed precipitation, particularly in the northern, central and eastern regions of the country. ■
