Mongolia is currently experiencing an extreme cold weather and heavy snow mainly in the southern province of Dundgobi, which has caused much trouble for the life of herders, said a local official.

Dundgobi is encountering a natural disaster called "dzud", which consists of a summer drought, followed by heavy snow and abnormal low temperatures, Dundgobi Governor Sh. Turbat told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"The current situation of continuous snow storms and extreme cold has caused a loss of thousands of livestock, leaving numerous herders without any source of livelihood," Turbat said.

"The disaster has caused an economic loss equivalent to US$6.6 million to the province," he added.

Due to a drastic drop in temperatures from late 2009 to early 2010, 80 percent of Mongolia's territory was covered with snow as thick as 20 centimeters to 90 centimeters, and 198 soums have now been battered by the harsh weather.

On January 24-25, over 1.4 million livestock perished due to the severe winter cold, the Mongolian government reported.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2010)