IN THE past three months since arriving in Beijing, friends - both foreigners and locals - have assured me that the winter here is quite bearable.

"It's getting warmer and warmer in Beijing in the last few years," said a few.

"It rarely snows in Beijing these days, but when it does, it is really lovely. You would love it," said others.

They lied. Beijing's winter can be unbearable and not very lovely.

On Sunday, the Chinese capital experienced its coldest December day since 1951. It froze at -12 degrees celsius. At its warmest, it was only -8.8 C.

For a guy from the tropics, it was like hell freezes over.

Strong winds from Siberia and Mongolia lashed the city, keeping Beijingers indoors and forcing some small shops to close.

It even tore off parts of the roof of Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications' sports stadium.

At a job fair in eastern Beijing, there were hardly any job seekers on Sunday despite the ongoing global financial crisis.

Not surprising since the lashing winds turned even a short stroll into a painful trek, with people spotted walking backwards so as to avoid having their faces pummelled.

Let's hope there are no more record-breaking climate feats in the next two months.

Although I must admit it would be nice to see a white Christmas here in Beijing.