Beijing experienced scorching temperatures on Thursday, surpassing 40 degrees Celsius for the first time since 2014, as the Chinese capital braced for a weekend of blistering hot weather. The return of heatwaves that had previously affected northern China intensified concerns about extreme heat in the region.
According to the municipal weather bureau, a weather station on the southern outskirts of Beijing recorded a temperature of 40.1 degrees Celsius. This marked the first time in nearly 9 years that the 40-degree threshold had been surpassed, with the last occurrence being on 29 May, 2014.
In response to the extreme heat, an orange alert, the second-highest weather warning level, was issued early on Thursday in the city of nearly 22 million people.
The alert indicated that temperatures could reach as high as 39 degrees Celsius in most parts of Beijing from Thursday to Saturday.
Last week, Beijing, along with Tianjin, Hebei, and Shandong provinces, experienced severe heatwaves, leading local authorities to take measures to protect crops, ensure the safety of tourists, and suspend outdoor work during the hottest periods of the day.
The return of intense heat in Beijing has raised concerns about the impact on residents and the need for precautionary measures to mitigate the effects of the heatwave.
