Fishing boats frozen by sea ice in China
© RexFishing boats frozen by sea ice at the sea area in Qinhuangdao, a port city in north China's Hebei Province

An extreme 'cold wave' has hit most of north and east China, with low temperatures and frost expected to last for around a week

These amazing pictures show the astonishing effects of an extreme 'cold wave' that has hit 90 percent of China.

Parts of China suffered a bitterly cold chill this week as temperatures dropped to the lowest they've been in 30 years.

These pictures show residents in Harbin, the northernmost provincial capital in China, as they battled the elements in -30C.

One image shows a huge clump of ice frozen in mid air above a man's head as he threw water over himself.

Another man's eyebrows collected freezing icicles on them which had twisted into clumps 'growing' from his brow.

And a woman smiled through the cold as ice collected on her wooly hat and the ends of her hair while she wore a face mask in the bitter chill.


hot water freezing in air in China
© RexA man throws hot water into the air at Songhuajiang river in Harbin

Fishing boats in Qinhuangdao, a port city in north China's Hebei Province, were stuck in frozen waters after temperatures dropped to below freezing.

Other pictures show huge blocks of ice washed up on the shore as the port was rendered useless by the weather.

Huge icicles collected at a port in Yantai City, in Shandong Province, and stairs in the city were completely covered in snow and ice.

icicles by the sea in China
© RexIcicles are seen by the sea in Yantai City, east China's Shandong Province

The National Meteorological Centre predicted that 90 percent of the country will experience a drop of around 10 degrees over the next four days.

Many schools across the country have suspended lessons while emergency crews are on standby.

And supermarkets in the Hzanghou were ransacked earlier in the week with shoppers stocking up on food and essentials.