AFP
Thu, June 22, 2023
Beijing appeared to log its hottest temperature since reliable records began
(GREG BAKER)
Beijing on Thursday appeared to log its hottest June temperature since reliable records began, according to weather data and local media reports, as swathes of northern China sweltered in 40-degree heat.
Scientists say rising global temperatures -- caused largely by burning fossil fuels -- are aggravating extreme weather worldwide, and many countries in Asia have experienced deadly heatwaves and record temperatures in recent weeks.
At the Nanjiao weather station in southern Beijing, considered a benchmark for temperatures in the capital, the mercury hit 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) at 3:19 pm (0719 GMT) on Thursday, the local Beijing News reported, citing an information service operated by the national weather bureau.
The figure is half a degree higher than the station's previous record of 40.6 C taken in June 1961, according to the state-backed media outlet.
"Today has become one of Beijing's hottest days since complete records have been available," the outlet said.
Other weather stations around the capital chalked up even higher temperatures, with Tanghekou in northern Beijing notching 41.8 C early Thursday afternoon, becoming the hottest place in the country, according to state media.
China's national weather service did not immediately confirm whether official temperature records had been breached.
Along Beijing's canals, residents sought respite from the searing heat by swimming and splashing around in the water.
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 C.
"It never used to get this hot in June before, but now it's so hot my hands are trembling," wrote one user on the Weibo social media platform.
"Are there three suns blazing over Beijing right now? It's hot enough to cause a breakdown," wrote another.
The scorching heat has coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival, a time when many Chinese go outside and socialise.
With temperatures in the high 30s forecast throughout the three-day public holiday, authorities have urged people to limit their time outdoors.
Beijing's weather authority issued an orange 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 orange alert was also in place, officials said the "general public (should) remain aware and take precautions" against heat-induced strokes.
Last week, Beijing recorded its highest temperature for mid-June, with weather officials warning the public to stay indoors as the mercury hit 39.4 C.
Beijing on Thursday appeared to log its hottest June temperature since reliable records began, according to weather data and local media reports, as swathes of northern China sweltered in 40-degree heat.
Scientists say rising global temperatures -- caused largely by burning fossil fuels -- are aggravating extreme weather worldwide, and many countries in Asia have experienced deadly heatwaves and record temperatures in recent weeks.
At the Nanjiao weather station in southern Beijing, considered a benchmark for temperatures in the capital, the mercury hit 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) at 3:19 pm (0719 GMT) on Thursday, the local Beijing News reported, citing an information service operated by the national weather bureau.
The figure is half a degree higher than the station's previous record of 40.6 C taken in June 1961, according to the state-backed media outlet.
"Today has become one of Beijing's hottest days since complete records have been available," the outlet said.
Other weather stations around the capital chalked up even higher temperatures, with Tanghekou in northern Beijing notching 41.8 C early Thursday afternoon, becoming the hottest place in the country, according to state media.
China's national weather service did not immediately confirm whether official temperature records had been breached.
Along Beijing's canals, residents sought respite from the searing heat by swimming and splashing around in the water.
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 C.
"It never used to get this hot in June before, but now it's so hot my hands are trembling," wrote one user on the Weibo social media platform.
"Are there three suns blazing over Beijing right now? It's hot enough to cause a breakdown," wrote another.
The scorching heat has coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival, a time when many Chinese go outside and socialise.
With temperatures in the high 30s forecast throughout the three-day public holiday, authorities have urged people to limit their time outdoors.
Beijing's weather authority issued an orange 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 orange alert was also in place, officials said the "general public (should) remain aware and take precautions" against heat-induced strokes.
Last week, Beijing recorded its highest temperature for mid-June, with weather officials warning the public to stay indoors as the mercury hit 39.4 C.
Beijing soars above 41 degrees Celsius, smashes June record
Thu, June 22, 2023
By Ryan Woo and Tingshu Wang
BEIJING, June 22 (Reuters) - The temperature in Beijing breached 41 degrees Celsius on Thursday and shattered the record for the hottest day in June as heatwaves that had seared northern China a week earlier returned to the Chinese capital.
A weather station in the southern suburbs, considered to be Beijing's main gauge, recorded 41.1C (106 Fahrenheit) at 3:19 p.m. (0719 GMT), according to the official Beijing Daily. The previous June high was logged on June 10, 1961, when the mercury hit 40.6C.
In Tanghekou in Beijing's northeast, the temperature pushed even higher to 41.8C helping the small township clinch the title of the hottest spot in China on Thursday.
Beijing has raised an orange alert, the second-most severe weather warning, saying temperatures could be as high as 39C from Thursday to Saturday.
The 41.1C logged on Thursday was the city's second-highest in history. The warmest temperature recorded by the city of nearly 22 million people was 41.9C on July 24, 1999.
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong in northern and eastern China were hammered by heatwaves last week, with the national weather bureau issuing an alert for heat stroke, almost a fortnight earlier than in previous years.
The heatwaves also prompted authorities to step up efforts to safeguard crops and ensure the safety of tourists. Outdoor work was also halted during the hottest part of the day.
In Tianjin, a port city with a population of over 13 million, increased demand for air-conditioning pushed its power grid load to 14.54 million kilowatts on June 15, up 23% from a year earlier, and spurred its utility department to dispatch workers to patrol underground tunnels every day to ensure electrical cables are in working order.
On Thursday, the temperature in Tianjin's urban district reached 41.2C, smashing local records.
He Jiaxi, 23, who was visiting Beijing, said she was worried about electricity cuts after experiencing outages in nearby Hebei province in June last year.
"Last June (in Hebei), it was so hot in mid-June, and during this hot period, electricity was cut at noon. I'm definitely worried."
The latest round of heatwaves, coinciding with the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend in China, will also hit the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang in the far west, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system, with red the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Reporting by Ryan Woo and Tingshu Wang; Editing by Michael Perry, Toby Chopra, Kim Coghill and Sharon Singleton)
Thu, June 22, 2023
By Ryan Woo and Tingshu Wang
BEIJING, June 22 (Reuters) - The temperature in Beijing breached 41 degrees Celsius on Thursday and shattered the record for the hottest day in June as heatwaves that had seared northern China a week earlier returned to the Chinese capital.
A weather station in the southern suburbs, considered to be Beijing's main gauge, recorded 41.1C (106 Fahrenheit) at 3:19 p.m. (0719 GMT), according to the official Beijing Daily. The previous June high was logged on June 10, 1961, when the mercury hit 40.6C.
In Tanghekou in Beijing's northeast, the temperature pushed even higher to 41.8C helping the small township clinch the title of the hottest spot in China on Thursday.
Beijing has raised an orange alert, the second-most severe weather warning, saying temperatures could be as high as 39C from Thursday to Saturday.
The 41.1C logged on Thursday was the city's second-highest in history. The warmest temperature recorded by the city of nearly 22 million people was 41.9C on July 24, 1999.
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong in northern and eastern China were hammered by heatwaves last week, with the national weather bureau issuing an alert for heat stroke, almost a fortnight earlier than in previous years.
The heatwaves also prompted authorities to step up efforts to safeguard crops and ensure the safety of tourists. Outdoor work was also halted during the hottest part of the day.
In Tianjin, a port city with a population of over 13 million, increased demand for air-conditioning pushed its power grid load to 14.54 million kilowatts on June 15, up 23% from a year earlier, and spurred its utility department to dispatch workers to patrol underground tunnels every day to ensure electrical cables are in working order.
On Thursday, the temperature in Tianjin's urban district reached 41.2C, smashing local records.
He Jiaxi, 23, who was visiting Beijing, said she was worried about electricity cuts after experiencing outages in nearby Hebei province in June last year.
"Last June (in Hebei), it was so hot in mid-June, and during this hot period, electricity was cut at noon. I'm definitely worried."
The latest round of heatwaves, coinciding with the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend in China, will also hit the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang in the far west, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather warning system, with red the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Reporting by Ryan Woo and Tingshu Wang; Editing by Michael Perry, Toby Chopra, Kim Coghill and Sharon Singleton)
No comments:
Post a Comment