Beijing on red alert as nation bakes
Print Edition
AS the mercury soared to record levels across the country yesterday, the National Meteorological Center reiterated its warning for people to take care in the heat.
In Beijing, the Municipal Warning Center upgraded its alert level to red at 1pm after the temperature rose to 40 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous high of 38.3 degrees recorded in 1951.
In some parts of the city, the mercury might have reached as high as 42 degrees yesterday afternoon, officials said.
The red-level warning calls for power suppliers and fire departments to be on the alert, outdoor work and activities to cease and classes at kindergartens and schools to be suspended. The heat wave is expected to continue through the weekend.
The temperature also rose past 40 degrees in Hebei, Henan and Shandong provinces yesterday — a record for the time of year in all three provinces — while in Tianjin people sweltered under a 40.5 degree sun.
The heat wave is expected to continue in these areas until the end of the week, when the temperature is to drop to a more manageable 32 degrees, forecasters said.
The state meteorological center on Wednesday issued its first yellow alert of the year, which indicates temperatures are expected to surpass 35 degrees in many places. The equivalent warning last year was not issued until 20 days later.
The country has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
In southwest China’s Yunnan Province, two people from Yuanyang County have died of heatstroke in recent weeks as a result of the extreme temperatures, which surpassed 40 degrees in several places.
In Yunnan’s Honghe area, where an orange alert has been issued, the mercury has held firm above 40 degrees for more than 14 days.
Aside from the scorching sun, parts of Tibet, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong are set to experience torrential rain in the coming days, the state meteorological center said.
In Shanghai, the cooler weather is set to return today, with a top temperature of 28 degrees.
Meanwhile, the city’s flood control authority said it expects this year’s rainy season to be more intense than in previous years.
The mercury is set to surpass 35 degrees on 23-29 days — compared with 28 days last year — though the hottest days will be slightly cooler at 40 degrees, compared with a record-breaking 42 degrees in 2103.
The total rainfall in the flood season will be about 240 millimeters, down from 243mm last year, but the storms will be stronger than before, an official said.
“There is a high risk of Shanghai encountering disastrous weather conditions such as typhoons and rainstorms during the flood season,” said Gu Jinshan, director of the Shanghai Water Authority.
Typhoons and heavy rain will pose a serious challenge to flood prevention efforts, he said.
In a bid to ensure public safety, authorities have this year spent 30 million yuan (US$4.8 million) to repair levees in Jinshan, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Jiading districts, while levees and floodgates have also been inspected in the city’s downtown area.
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