Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Aerial footage showed the extent of the bad weather 
 
 A cold snap sweeping across East Asia has killed at least 85 people in Taiwan and stranded 60,000 tourists in South Korea. 
 
 Taiwanese media reported deaths from hypothermia and cardiac disease following a sudden drop in temperature over the weekend. 
 
 Meanwhile heavy snow forced the closure of the airport on the Korean holiday island of Jeju, cancelling flights. 
 
 The cold spell has also hit Hong Kong, southern China and Japan. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption This highway in Guangdong province was closed because of heavy snow 
 
 'Sudden drop' 
 
 Many of those who died in Taiwan were elderly people living in northern regions such as Taipei and Taoyuan. Those areas accounted for 66 of the deaths. 
 
 Another 16 were confirmed dead in the southern city of Kaohsiung. 
 
 The temperature in Taipei city fell to a 44-year low of 4C (39F) on Sunday, and many homes in Taiwan lack central heating. 
 
 Many victims reportedly had heart trouble and shortness of breath. 
 
 "In our experience, it's not the actual temperature but the sudden drop that's too sudden for people's circulatory systems,'' said a city official quoted by AP news agency. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images 
 
 The risks in the cold 
 
 Most excess winter deaths and illnesses are not caused by hypothermia or extremes of cold, but by heart and breathing problems. Frail elderly people are particularly at risk. 
 
 Cold weather makes your heart work harder to keep your body warm. It increases your heart rate and blood pressure and can cause changes to your blood that increase the risk of developing blood clots that may lead to heart attacks and strokes. 
 
 Low temperatures can make it harder to breathe and can make existing chest problems, such as asthma, worse. There is also more flu circulating during the winter. 
 
 If you have reduced mobility, are 65 or over, or have a health condition such as heart or lung disease, experts say it is a good idea to heat your home to at least 18C. 
 
 A 56-year-old man surnamed Chen was found dead on the street Sunday morning, reported Focus Taiwan, but most of the victims in the city and its surrounding region, known as New Taipei City, were found indoors. 
 
 Authorities have warned people, especially senior citizens, to keep warm and stay out of the cold. 
 
 In South Korea, more than 500 domestic and international flights have been cancelled in Jeju as the island, known for balmy weather and beaches, saw -6C weather. The airport was due to reopen on Monday night. 
 
 Thousands of tourists were left stranded over the weekend. Yonhap news agency reported that local officials were scrambling to find transport and accommodation. 
 
 Image copyright EPA Image caption On Monday morning hundreds of passengers were still stranded in Jeju airport 
 
 Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The airport was blanketed in snow over the weekend leading to flight cancellations 
 
 In Hong Kong, residents shivered in 3C, the lowest temperature there in nearly 60 years. 
 
 Parts of Guangzhou and Shenzhen in southern China have also seen the rare appearance of snow, while the southern Japanese island of Okinawa has seen sleet for the first time ever, report Chinese and Japanese media. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption East Asia cold snap: Why is it freezing in the region? 
 
 Snowstorms have hit large parts of Japan as well, with more than 600 domestic flights cancelled across the country on Sunday and Monday, reported NHK news. 
 
 At least five people have died so far and more than 100 have been injured in Japan. 
 
 Temperatures have dropped in some parts of South East Asia as well, including Vietnam and Thailand. 
 
 In Bangkok, which rarely sees temperatures below 20C, temperatures dropped to around 16C on Sunday, while Vietnam saw the coldest weather in about two decades over the weekend, with Hanoi experiencing 6C. 
 
 Are you in East Asia? Have you been affected by the cold weather? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. 
 
 Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: ||||| Primary schools and kindergartens remained closed on Monday with Hong Kong experiencing its coldest weather in almost 60 years. The Hong Kong Observatory expects temperatures to range between three to nine degrees Celsius for the day as a cold surge from the north continues. 
 
 Temperatures hit a low of 3.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the third lowest on record. On Tai Mo Shan – Hong Kong’s highest peak – the mercury dipped below freezing to -5 degrees Celsius, according to the Observatory. 
 
 A total of 20 hours was spent rescuing over 100 people stuck on Tai Mo Shan. More than 200 firefighters deployed, according to RTHK. Most of those rescued were suffering from hypothermia. 
 
 The icy conditions hindered firefighters attempting rescue missions. More than 130 people on Kowloon Peak also requested help. All affected persons were evacuated from both mountains by midnight yesterday. 
 
 The government has announced that temporary shelters will remain open throughout Monday. Kindergartens, schools for children with physical or intellectual disabilities, and primary schools are also suspended. However, schools “should keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after students who need to return to school,” the Education Bureau said. 
 
 ‘You can do it’ 
 
 As students discussed class cancellations online, the Chinese University of Hong Kong Vice-Chancellor Joseph Sung said on Facebook “When I was in Canada, I went to school at -37oC. I know you can do it.” 
 
 On Twitter, some netizens were also unsympathetic: 
 
 All primary schools in Hong Kong will be closed tomorrow because of “adverse weather.” Sunny day, 51F/11C. Remarkable. Only in #HK. — Wei Gu (@weigu) January 24, 2016 
 
 Proof that Hong Kong retains a strong British influence: it hits zero degrees and the place falls to pieces. — Hong Kong Hermit (@HongKongHermit) January 24, 2016 
 
 Douglas Young's vision of Hong Kong as ski resort seems suddenly relevant. (2008 print by @hkgoodsofdesire) pic.twitter.com/Vzfo4nE6bD — Lara Day (@lmjday) January 24, 2016 
 
 Others criticised the government for over-reacting. 
 
 Shareholder activist David Webb said on his blog: “Let’s get real. Yes, it is just about freezing on high ground, which is exciting for some young HK citizens who have never seen frost, but this is not New York. We are not struggling under 2 feet of snow. There is no “immediate danger”… of people being unable to get to school or facing blizzards on the way. The Government has, once again, panicked and gone beyond its statutory powers…” 
 
 Warmer weather is expected around mid-week. 
 
 Comments
– The US East Coast wasn't the only place struggling with winter weather over the weekend: An unusually cold weather front has been blamed for killing 57 mostly elderly people in Taiwan's greater Taipei area. The cold wave abruptly pushed temperatures to a 16-year low of 39 degrees Fahrenheit in the subtropical capital where most homes lack central heating, causing heart trouble and shortness of breath for many of the victims, a city official says. "In our experience, it's not the actual temperature but the sudden drop that's too sudden for people's circulatory systems," a city spokesman says. The cold front also left 3.5 inches of snow on Taipei's highest peak Saturday and stranded vehicles as people headed into the mountains to see the snow. The same polar front closed schools Monday in Hong Kong, where temperatures fell to 34 degrees Fahrenheit, the lowest in nearly 60 years, the BBC reports. Over the weekend, "frost chasers" headed to the territory's highest peaks, and more than 200 of them, many suffering from hypothermia, had to be rescued by firefighters, reports the Hong Kong Free Press. (In the US, the weekend blizzard may be followed by a baby boom.)