Heat wave scorches northern China

A series of northern Chinese cities recorded unprecedented high temperatures, as summer arrived early and became more severe, putting stress on the power system.

"This summer, the heat came earlier than usual, prompting many people to order cold drinks, ice cream and other refreshing foods," said Liu Yuxin, a 28-year-old delivery driver who drives an electric scooter to deliver food from morning to night in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province in northeastern China.

For Liu, waiting for his food in the air-conditioned restaurant was a real “salvation” moment, when the temperature outside was soaring under the scorching sun. Every day, he had to deliver 40-50 food orders.

A series of provinces and cities with a total area of ​​more than two million square kilometers in northern China suffered from hot weather last week, with many days of temperatures exceeding 35°C, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan and Shandong.

The National Meteorological Center on June 18 continued to issue an orange warning for high temperatures. Three regions, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, and Xinjiang, are expected to experience temperatures above 40°C in the coming days.

Power plant workers work in the heat in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, June 15. Photo: Xinhua

This year’s summer in Liaoning began five days earlier than in previous years, as intense heat gripped the western part of the province. The heatwave, which began on June 14 and is expected to end on June 20, marks the hottest June in the western part of the province since 1995.

On June 17, four meteorological stations in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, recorded temperatures of 40-43 degrees Celsius. Jianping and Lingyuan counties even experienced unprecedented June temperatures.

Over the past few days in Beijing, it has become common to see people in long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses hurrying down the streets as the Chinese capital issued an orange heat alert. Air conditioning systems on buses were running at full capacity as people tried to minimize their time outdoors.

Chi Cheng, a doctor at Peking University People's Hospital, said the emergency department received 10 cases of heatstroke on June 17. She said people should avoid outdoor activities and strenuous exercise during the high temperature in the afternoon.

Heat waves have caused many cities in northern China to record peak electricity consumption.

"As economic activities increased in the second quarter, while the weather became hot, the load on Beijing's power grid increased by about 30% compared to the same period last year," said Zhao Rui, an engineer from Beijing Electric Power Group, adding that the company had deployed 261 troubleshooting teams and 109 generator trucks on standby around the clock in case of emergencies.

Construction workers in Beijing eat watermelon to cool off on June 16. Photo: X inhua

Authorities in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, have ordered sanitation workers to stop working outdoors between 11am and 4pm when daytime temperatures exceed 35°C. When temperatures rise above 38°C, workers are ordered to stop all outdoor activities for the entire day.

Meanwhile, the Liaoning Provincial Water Resources Department is working to increase water reserves in some areas to ensure supplies for rice-producing areas. The cumulative water replenishment in medium- and large-scale farming areas reached 186 million cubic meters as of June 12.

Food delivery platform Meituan Waimai set up several heatstroke prevention stations in the city on June 14, providing sun protection clothing, drinks, and medicine to delivery staff. Meituan Waimai also optimized many routes to reduce the time delivery drivers have to drive outdoors.

“With the company’s heat subsidy policy and the surge in orders, I can earn about 1,000 yuan ($140) extra a month,” said Liu, who has been a shipper in Shenyang for four years.

China's National Meteorological Center has forecast that much of the country will experience a summer this year that is as hot as or hotter than the average for previous years, amid a forecast of an El Nino this year.

Duc Trung (According to Xinhua )

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