Shillong, June 23: Beijing, on Friday, issued a ‘red’ warning, the highest level in its color-coded alert system, as the hot weather intensified. The Chinese capital, home to millions of people, was bracing for scorching temperatures expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius.
Just a day prior, the city witnessed a new June record as the mercury soared above 41 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature reading came from a weather station in the southern suburbs, considered Beijing’s primary gauge, which recorded 41.1 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The previous highest temperature in June was set on June 10, 1961, at 40.6 degrees Celsius. Although Thursday’s maximum temperature was the second-highest in the city’s history, it fell just short of the record set on July 24, 1999, when Beijing reached a scorching 41.9 degrees Celsius.
China employs a four-tier weather warning system, with red being the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. A red alert indicates that temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius within 24 hours.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, high temperatures will persist in the northern regions of the country for the next eight to ten days. Ongoing monitoring and warnings for high temperatures have been announced for various locations, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, and Inner Mongolia.
Tianjin, a northern port city with a population of over 13 million, also experienced extreme heat on Thursday, reaching 41.2 degrees Celsius and breaking local records.
Local authorities have cautioned about the potential health impacts of the prolonged period of high temperatures, including an increased risk of stroke, and have advised residents to consume a minimum of 1.5 liters of water daily and limit outdoor activities.
