(Beijing) Beijing on Thursday recorded its hottest June since temperature records began and large parts of northern China saw the thermometer soar above 40°C, according to weather data and media reports.
China has been facing extreme weather conditions and locally unusual temperatures in recent months, exacerbated by climate change according to scientists.
At Nanjiao Meteorological Station, south of Beijing, which is a benchmark in the capital, the mercury hit 41.1C at 3:19 p.m. (3:19 a.m. EST) on Thursday, the local newspaper reported. beijing newsciting a news service run by the National Weather Bureau.
This figure is half a degree higher than the previous record of 40.6 ° C recorded by the station in June 1961, according to this state media.
“Today has become one of the hottest days in Beijing since complete data became available,” the same media source said.
Other weather stations around the capital recorded even higher temperatures, such as that of Tanghekou, north of Beijing, which reached 41.8 ° C early Thursday afternoon, becoming the place the most hottest in the country, according to state media.
The National Weather Service has not confirmed whether any official temperature records were broken.
Along Beijing’s canals, residents sought to escape the scorching heat by swimming and splashing around in the water.
In nearby Tianjin, which has a population of more than 13 million, temperatures have also soared in the city center, with Xiqing district recording its hottest June day at 40.6C.
“It’s never been so hot in June before, but now it’s so hot that my hands are shaking,” wrote a user of Chinese social network Weibo.
“Are there three suns burning over Beijing right now? It’s hot enough to cause depression,” another wrote.
The intense heat comes on the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day celebration for which many Chinese people gather with family and friends.
Authorities have called on people to limit time spent outdoors as temperatures will remain high for the next few days.
Meteorological departments in Beijing and Tianjin issued an orange alert for severe heat, the second highest level in China.
Last week, Beijing set a temperature record for mid-June, with the mercury crossing 39.4°C.