Sweltering heat grips China’s eastern coastal megacities, with temperatures soaring to 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Friday, and prolonged extreme temperatures expected to persist into next week. Shanghai Meteorological Center issued its first red warning signal for high temperatures this year after the city reached 40C, marking the 22nd day of temperatures above 40C since records began in 1873. Nearby Hangzhou also issued a red warning early Friday, with temperatures hitting 40C in several districts.
“It feels like fire falling from the sky,” said Wang, a 60-year-old tourist visiting Hangzhou from Hebei province. “I’m constantly sweating, and even the wind feels hot.”
China experienced its hottest July on record, with July 22 being the hottest day ever recorded since 1940, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Weather forecasters issued high-temperature warnings for multiple provinces, including Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Fujian, as well as Chongqing and Shanghai, with temperatures expected to reach 37-39C and potentially surpass 40C in some areas.
Experts attribute the treacherous heatwaves to global climate change, which is causing extreme weather conditions worldwide. “It’s unbearable, and I’m sweating constantly,” said Li Wen, a 22-year-old tourist in Shanghai. “Everyone is taking precautions, wearing sun protection shirts and carrying parasols.”
China is bracing for another summer of torrid heat, with weather experts predicting more frequent, longer, and hotter heatwaves in the future.
