‘Are there three suns blazing over’? The record-breaking heatwave in China is deadly
China is baking in the heat. Authorities have issued the highest-level heat warning for the first time in nine years as temperatures soar past 40 degrees Celsius. Forecasters predict that the rising mercury levels will sustain for the next three to four days
A girl runs as she plays in a fountain at a shopping mall in Beijing. Authorities issued a rare red alert for high temperatures in parts of China's capital on Friday, the highest level of warning. AP
It’s sizzling hot in China… So hot that authorities have issued a highest-level heat alert for northern parts of the country, including Beijing, as the mercury soared to 40 degrees Celsius and higher.
According to an AFP news report, 185 red alerts were issued across swathes of northern and eastern China including Beijing, the nearby city of Tianjin and the bordering provinces of Hebei and Shandong. The red warning is the highest in a four-tier system.
This is the first time in nine years that Beijing has been put on the highest-level heat alert and authorities also said that this was the first time that temperatures of more than 40 degrees were recorded over two consecutive days.
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Just how hot is the situation in China? Why is the Asian giant baking in such high temperatures?
Hot, hotter, hottest in China
On Thursday, Beijing logged its hottest June day since records began, with the mercury soaring to a new high of 41.1 degrees Celsius. The previous record was set in 1961 when temperatures had hit a high of 40.6 degrees Celsius.
The weatherman of China said that temperatures at the Nanjiao weather station in southern Beijing, had exceeded the 41 degrees Celsius only three times since records began.
Other weather stations around the capital chalked up even higher temperatures on Thursday, with Tanghekou in northern Beijing notching 41.8 degrees Celsius early in the afternoon, becoming the hottest place in the country, according to state media.
In nearby Tianjin – home to over 13 million people – temperatures in the city centre also soared, with the western Xiqing district logging its hottest ever June day with 40.6 degrees Celsius.
Nationwide, some 17 weather stations “recorded record high temperature extremes” on Thursday, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).
The heat also prompted people to comment, with one writing on Weibo social media platform: “It never used to get this hot in June before, but now it’s so hot my hands are trembling.”
Another user wrote, “Are there three suns blazing over Beijing right now? It’s hot enough to cause a breakdown.”
Pedestrians in Beijing were seen on Friday morning wearing masks, hats and visors to protect themselves from the sun. Along the city’s canals, some sought an escape from the heat by splashing around in the water.
Also read: What a heatwave does to your body
The soaring temperatures have also led authorities to warn people and businesses to curb their electricity usage. Last week, the National Energy Administration staged its first-ever emergency drill in China’s eastern region, simulating a power surge and outage in the face of any large-scale power outages.
Authorities have urged people to limit their time outdoors and warned of the heightened risk of heatstroke and other health complaints. Beijing’s weather authority issued a warning for extreme heat and urged people to “avoid exercising outdoors for long periods… and take effective measures to shield from the sun”.
In Tianjin, where an alert was also in place, officials said the “general public (should) remain aware and take precautions” against heat-induced strokes.
And when will the people of China get relief from these deadly temperatures? Forecasters expected the high temperatures to last for at least three days.
Cause for sizzling heat
The rising temperatures in China can be attributed to global climate change. In fact, a study released last month found climate change had made heatwaves 30 times more likely in Asia.
It had also raised temperatures by at least two degree Celsius in many parts of Asia during an April heatwave.
Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh and India all saw record temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius in April. The extreme heat caused deaths and hospitalisations in some countries, melted roads and affected other infrastructure.
Zheng Fei, a research fellow at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Global Times that the heat in China is due to the abnormal persistence of an extensive subtropical anticyclone. The anticyclone system means sinking airflows prevail and cause a significant rise in the near-surface temperatures. The sinking airflows also lead to clear weather with less cloud cover, which increases solar radiation and causes higher temperatures on the ground, Zheng explained.
With inputs from AFP
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