World’s worst roommate: Entire apartment building covered in snow and ice after tenant left front door open during -40C cold in China

An apartment building in China was turned into a giant refrigerator after a tenant allegedly forgot to close the door during the week the province recorded its lowest temperature on record.

Shocking images show residents in winter clothes staring at the “snow cave” that formed at the entrance of the building in Jiamusi city, Heilongjiang province on Friday, January 24.

Large sheets of ice hung from the doorposts and ceiling after bitter winds blew snow through the door and blanketed the hall’s interior.

Residents can be heard expressing their amazement at the phenomenon as they braved temperatures of -40C.

Residents were stunned to find their apartment building had been turned into a freezer

It came during a cold snap that devastated much of Asia and sent mercury plunging in China, Japan and Korea.

On Sunday, just two days after the flat’s “snow cave” formed, a town at the northern tip of Heilongjiang recorded a temperature of -53C – the lowest on record.

China’s National Weather Service last week urged citizens to wrap up warm as the freezing cold threatened vulnerable residents in the central, northern and eastern parts of the country.

The cold weather hit many areas unaccustomed to such harsh conditions, where residents typically experience a much milder climate.

But the northern Chinese city of Mohe – known as “China’s North Pole” – recorded temperatures below -50C for three consecutive days in an unprecedented period, according to Chinese news outlets.

Large layers of ice can be seen covering the inside of the apartment building after bitter winds blew snow through the open door

Wooden houses in Snow Village in Mohe County, northernmost China. Mohe is one of the coldest places in China, with temperatures regularly dropping to -40°C in winter

Photo taken on Dec. 18, 2018 shows workers carving a dragon sculpture out of snow and ice in Mohe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, in preparation for the winter tourism season

Mohe is known for its cold climate and is a famous skiing and winter sports destination with average temperatures in January and February varying between -15°C and -20°C.

But the temperature of -53C recorded on Sunday broke the previous record of -52.3C.

China’s Xinhua News Agency said a number of areas in the Greater Khingan Mountains also experienced fresh low temperatures over the weekend.

In contrast, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Britain is -27.2°C, recorded in different parts of Scotland in 1895, 1982 and 1995.