Beijing recorded its hottest June day ever, prompting China to issue the red alert for heat, the highest level in its color-coded alert system, for northern regions of the nation.
On Friday morning, 185 red alerts were issued for parts of northern and eastern China, including Beijing, the nearby city of Tianjin, and the provinces of Hebei and Shandong.
Beijing, which is home to almost 22 million people, has not experienced a red alert since 2014, according to official weather services.
After setting a June record high of 41.1°C (106°F) on Thursday, the temperature in the nation’s capital was essentially unchanged at around 40°C (104°F).
On June 10, 1961, the temperature reached a high of 40°C (105°F), which was the previous June record.
Beijingers are used to hot summers, but temperatures across China have been unusually high recently, with scientists saying that climate change is making the heat worse.
On the Chinese social media site Weibo, a user echoed many other posts by writing, “This weather is not human and it is only the month of June!”
Pedestrians were seen shielding themselves from the sun on Beijing’s streets by donning masks, hats, and visors.
Some people splashed around in the water along the canals of the city to cool off from the heat.
According to China’s meteorological service, the temperature on Thursday reached 43°C (109°F) in the coastal province of Shandong, which borders the Yellow Sea.
17 weather stations in the area, according to local media, broke temperature records.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, the country’s north will continue to experience high temperatures for the next eight to ten days.
On Friday, local authorities issued a warning that the prolonged period of high temperatures could pose a health risk and urged people to limit their time outdoors and drink at least 1.5 liters of water daily.
Source-Aljazeera
