N. America experiences coldest temperature in 20 years
北美地区遭遇二十年来最寒冷天气

North America is experiencing some of the coldest temperatures in 20 years. The average temperature at many cities across the United States on Monday was a cold minus 6 degrees Celsius.

Since the first of the year, there have been at least 360 low temperature records set across 27 states in the US. And believe it or not, Tuesday is shaping up to be even COLDER for millions across the country.

Life-threatening, record-breaking cold affecting as many as 140 million Americans.

It is the coldest wheather in North America in 20 years.

Slammed by a "polar vortex" - a whirlpool of dense, sub-zero air - temperatures have dropped below zero Fahrenheit in at least 26 states. That's minus 18 degrees Celsius.

"It is brutal here. It is unbelievably cold. This is ridiculous," a resident says.

It's especially brutal here in America's Midwest where temperatures have averaged between thirty to fifty degrees below normal.

Officials across the region can't stress enough how dangerous the cold is.

"We've had temperatures that are potentially deadly and are certainly life-altering temperatures right now," Greg Ballard,Major of Indianapolis, says.

Some meteorologists have been calling this an "arctic cyclone."

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, where afternoon temperatures hovered around 24 below zero - city officials issued a rare hazardous weather warning typically reserved for tornadoes.

It is so cold right now. Minus 26 degrees Celsius. Lake Michigan is partially frozen, which is actually pretty rare. And people who've lived here 30-40 years are saying they've never seen such brutal cold before.

The wind is making things worse. The so-called "wind chill" factor means a light wind of just five miles per hour makes the temperature feel like minus 40 degrees.

While some companies allowed their employees to work from home, many still had to make a dreaded commute.

"I don't want to be outside at all, not at all. The moment you step outside you feel like your skin breaks," a resident says.

And the one advice to those who must go out-dress in layers.

"I have five layers on. I have socks, leggings, another pair of pants, a shirt, a work short, a sweater," a resident says.

Officials are especially worried about the elderly and the homeless, urging them to seek shelter.

The governor of Illinois has declared his state a disaster area.