ULAN BATOR, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring on Thursday issued a warning of heavy snow and strong winds.
Starting Thursday night, snowstorms will hit western and central provinces of the country, with an average wind speed estimated at 18-24 meters per second, said the weather monitoring agency.
The country's meteorological agency warned the residents of Ulan Bator and 21 provinces, including nomadic herders, to take extra precautions against possible disasters.
Mongolia is known for its harsh continental climate, marked by long, frigid winters and short summers.
Currently, nearly 68 percent of Mongolia's land is now blanketed in snow, according to the weather monitoring agency.
Earlier this month, one person was killed in the eastern Mongolian province of Dornod due to heavy snow and snowstorms. ■