70% of Mongolian territory covered by snow

Ulan Bator, Feb 6 About 70 per cent of the Mongolian territory has been covered with snow of up to 60 cm in thickness, local media reported on Monday.

The condition increases the risk of extreme wintry weather known as "dzud", said the report, citing the country's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry.

Dzud is a Mongolian term to describe a severely cold winter when a large number of livestock die because the ground is frozen or covered by snow, reports Xinhua news agency.

Herders across the country have used 60 per cent of the total hay and fodder stored for the livestock, it said.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 233,000 heads of livestock have been killed in the country due to the harsh winter and other reasons, according to the Ministry.