Ten Days of Hot Weather Lead Many to Call Beijing a Sauna (Photo)
(Clearwisdom.net) After more than ten days of rainfall in Beijing, the
average daily temperature suddenly rose and remained above 30 degrees Celsius
for the next ten days. It soared to 36 degree Celsius on July 12. All of Beijing
has been suffering in the extremely hot weather.
According to the Central News Agency's report on July12, the Beijing
Meteorological Observatory reported that in early July, the average temperature
in Beijing reached above 30 degree Celsius, two degrees higher than that in the
corresponding period of preceding years. Meteorological expert Li Huan An said,
since the beginning of July, because of less rainfall, and relatively extended
sunshine time period, the ground temperature in Beijing area reached its peak
value. The latest information from Beijing Nanjiao Observatory showed that the
ground temperature on July 11 peaked at 54.9 degree Celsius. Beijing residents have truly experienced "being steamed in natural sauna
bath." Among passersby on the streets, women wear less clothes with most parts
of body exposed. Gentlemen become topless. The elderly wear hats, each holding a
rush-leaf fan at hand. Many citizens hid in offices with air conditioners in the daytime, and
hurried home in taxies with air conditioners after work to evade the intense
summer heat. Many businesses and peddlers had no business due to the heat wave. An older
man who sells newspapers said, "very few people buy newspapers in the great hot
days, let alone magazines. He dared to order only one or two copies of each
kind. The price for fresh flowers also drops with few buyers on the street." The meteorological expert said that sustained hot and humid weather could
create an inconvenience for older people, in particular for cardiovascular
patients. "Air conditioning sickness" would also trouble the Beijing residents.
He also predicted that the hot weather would last until July 18. Please read the following related reports from the July 13 "Beijing Youth
Daily": New record of consumption of electricity Sustained hot and humid weather led to the suddenly increasing consumption of
electricity in the Beijing area. At noon of July 12, the electricity consumption
reached to 8.06 million kilowatts, 1.01 million kilowatts more than that last
year when the power grid load reached the highest point. The increasing range
reaches 14.3%, the highest in history. According to Beijing power supply bureau vice-Chief engineer Yang Chao, the
sudden increase of electricity consumption is mainly because of high
temperatures, air conditioners, electric fans and similar temperature decrease
equipment. The electricity consumed by such equipment has surpassed three
million kilowatts, approaches 40% of power grid total load of the area. Water consumption reaches the summer peak Reporters got information from the city running water company that, until
8:00 a.m., the day before yesterday (July 10), the water volume consumed by the
whole city achieved 2.22 million cubic meters, the highest point since the
beginning of the summer. Sweat soaks traffic police's clothes and hats At around 9:00 a.m. yesterday morning, reporters in the Dongdan street
intersection observed that the policemen directing traffic had their upper
garments completely soaked by the sweat, as were their hats. East City Traffic
Section Chief Yang Yi told the reporter that when the temperature hit 36
Celsius, the surface temperature of the pavement can reach 50 degrees Celsius.
Between the heat and the pollution from automobile exhausts, the traffic
police's working conditions is extremely difficult. The swimming pool is crowded with people In the Water Paradise in Yuyuantan park, the reporter sees numerous people in
the water, leaving no space for tourists to swim. A staff in the administrative
office told the reporter that the water paradise received more than 1000 people
each day, one times surpassed the usual number. Tourists from outside Beijing suffer heat-stroke The burning hot weather sees more afflicted with heat-stroke appear in the
big hospitals' emergency rooms and first-aid centers. Many of those afflicted
are students having fun in the summer heat and tourists from outside Beijing. In
addition, the number of elderly patients suffering strokes and heart disease
suddenly increased. The Beijing first aid center reports that since the beginning of the high
temperatures and humid weather, daily calls for ambulances increased 45%, and
the rarely seen rise in Beijing heat-stroke patients arose. Sometimes there were
eight heat-stroke patients a day receiving emergency treatment. The sale of air conditioners grows ten times In these two days, the air conditioning sales volume in Beijing rapidly
climbs along with the high temperature. The sales volume of various markets and
the electric appliance shops grew in times compared to that several days ago.
Blue Island Building sold more than 200 air conditioners yesterday, while it
only sold a dozen a day when it poured heavy rains several days ago, ten times
number of air conditioners sold last week. Only yesterday, chain shops of
Beijing's Guomei, an electric appliances franchise, sold more than 8000 air
conditioners. Guard against thieves while sleeping with windows open Early on the morning of July 8, when the Tongzhou precinct police patrolled
the area, they captured a man from outside Beijing climbing the balcony guard
rail to try to get into the apartment, and was suspected of stealing. He
confessed that since July, he and other people took advantage of the burning hot
summer and residents who left their windows open while asleep, carried tools and
climbed up the balcony guard rail to enter and burglarize apartments. Within ten
days, they have committed eleven crimes, and stolen telephones, pagers and cash
that valued over 30 thousand Yuan. 
Chinese version available at
http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2002/7/13/33263.html
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