Beijing recorded its hottest June day since records began on Thursday, the National Meteorological Service said, with large swathes of northern China battered by temperatures sometimes above 40 degrees Celsius.
Rising temperatures around the world – usually caused by reliance on fossil fuels – are making weather more extreme, say scientists. Many Asian countries have experienced deadly heat waves and record temperatures in recent weeks.
At the Nanjiao Meteorological Station in southern Beijing, which serves as a benchmark for temperatures in the Chinese capital, the mercury reached 41.1°C (106 degrees Fahrenheit) at 3:19 p.m. (0719 GMT) on Thursday, a indicated the meteorological service in a press release also published by the public channel CCTV.
This is half a degree above the station’s monthly record of 40.6°C recorded in June 1961, and ranks behind the 41.9°C recorded in July 1999.
“This station has only reached temperatures above 41°C three times since records began,” the meteorological service said, adding that “scorching heat will persist in Beijing for the next two days, with temperatures reaching 38 °C and 39°C”.
Other weather stations around the capital recorded even higher temperatures on Thursday, including Tanghekou in northern Beijing hitting 41.8C in the early afternoon, becoming the hottest spot in the country, according to state media.
Along Beijing’s canals, residents sought to escape the scorching heat by swimming and splashing around in the water.
In nearby Tianjin, home to more than 13 million people, temperatures in the center have also soared, with the western district of Xiqing recording its hottest June day on record at 40.6C.
Across the country, some 17 weather stations “recorded extreme temperature records” on Thursday, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).
-“Protect yourself from the sun”-
“It’s never been so hot in June before, but now it’s so hot that my hands are shaking,” wrote a user of Chinese social network Weibo.
“Are there three suns burning over Beijing right now? It’s hot enough to cause depression,” another wondered.
The hot weather comes on the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day celebration for which many Chinese gather with family and friends.
High temperatures are expected to persist in northern China throughout the three holidays, particularly around Beijing and parts of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.
“These current high-temperature weather systems are affecting large areas and persisting for a long time,” a commentator on state broadcaster CCTV said.
Authorities have urged people to limit time spent outdoors and warned of the increased risk of heat stroke and other health problems.
The Beijing Meteorological Authority issued an extreme heat warning and called on people to “avoid exercising outdoors for long periods of time…and take effective measures to protect themselves from the sun”.
In Tianjin, where an alert was also in place, officials said “the general public (should) stay alert and take precautions” against heatstroke.
Last week, Beijing recorded its highest temperature in mid-June, with weather officials urging people to stay at home as the mercury hit 39.4C.
06/22/2023 16:39:09 – Beijing (AFP) – © 2023 AFP