Heatwave grips Beijing

Children cool off in a water fountain at a shopping area in Beijing on Thursday amid a heatwave. (Tingshu Wang / Reuters)

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Heatwave grips Beijing

"Hot, really hot, extremely hot 🫠 [melting smiley face].”

This was the unconventional forecast posted by the national weather service on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, last Tuesday evening.

The forecast was imprecise, but it wasn't wrong: the temperature in Beijing hit a scorching 106 degrees Fahrenheit (just over 41 degrees Celsius) on Thursday, a public holiday for the Dragon Boat Festival. It was the highest recorded June temperature since 1961, the year the government started recording weather data.

The sweltering temperatures continued throughout the short holiday period, with authorities issuing a red alert, the highest-level of China's four-tier weather alert system. Hospitals reported a rise in patients with heatstroke and authorities urged residents to take precautions by limiting time outside and avoiding physical exertion.

While many people sensibly followed that advice and elected to spend the holiday sheltering from the heat in their air-conditioned homes, some tourists braved the heat to try and make the most of their holiday. Lin, a graduate student from Taipei on her first trip to Beijing, was visiting the Great Wall.

"It's like being in an oven," she reported, soaked in sweat from her brief walk along the wall.  Fellow visitors to the landmark were mostly gathered in the shade under trees eating ice cream. Even the security guards were taking turns hopping in and out of their air-conditioned hut.

Elsewhere in Beijing, people could be seen cooling off in fountains and swimming in the cold water of the canals within the city.  

Much of the online discussion on social media revolved around surviving the heatwave, and in typical Chinese style, the conversation often turned to food. People were sharing advice about the most hydrating snacks to cope with the hot weather. Mung bean soup and sour plum drink are popular options for the traditionalists, while ice-cream – frowned upon by the older, more conservative generation in China – seemed to be the top choice among the youth.

Entrepreneurs looked for ways to capitalize on the heatwave: One promoted a seat-cusion fan designed to combat a sweaty butt, while tourism companies offered trips to the south of the country, which is usually hotter at this time of year, but is currently less so.

Sales of clothes that offer protection against the sun skyrocketed, as locals – especially the female population, who traditionally favor lighter skin – looked to cover up and protect their skin from the damaging UV rays.

Although the heat is forecast to ease for a day or so, there is more hot weather on the way. Temperatures are predicted to rise again later this week.

This story was adapted from a report on CNN.com

Language Expansion:

1. heatwave (n)

Much of the online discussion on social media revolved around surviving the heatwave.

• Yes, it's true we're experiencing a heatwave at the moment here in Beijing. I've never known the temperature get so hot in June before.
• It seems that extreme weather events like heatwaves and floods are becoming more and more common these days. Is it the same in your country?
  

2. scorching / sweltering (adj.)

The temperature in Beijing hit a scorching 106 degrees Fahrenheit (just over 41 degrees Celsius) on Thursday.

The sweltering temperatures continued throughout the short holiday period.

• We were planning to go hiking over the public holiday, but it was scorching for the entire holiday period, so in the end we decided to stay at home and do some indoor activities.
• In this sweltering heat, no one feels like doing anything. Hopefully it will cool down soon.
  

3. the temperature reaches / hits…

The temperature in Beijing hit a scorching 106 degrees Fahrenheit (just over 41 degrees Celsius) on Thursday.

• The temperature hit 40 degrees yesterday, and to make matters worse, it's a humid heat. By the time I walked to the bus stop, I was soaked in sweat.
• It's not common for temperatures to reach 40 degrees in Beijing. What's the hottest the temperature reaches in your hometown?
  

4. make the most of

Some tourists braved the heat to try and make the most of their holiday.

• You went on a camping trip? That sounds wonderful. It's important to make the most of your time off.
• We always try to make the most of our holidays. This year, we're planning on taking a trip to Sichuan Province in the south of China.
  

5. be forecast to

Although the heat is forecast to ease for a day or so, there is more hot weather on the way. Temperatures are predicted to rise again later this week.

• Thankfully, it's forecast to get a bit cooler later in the week.
• You're lucky – this is a good time to visit Beijing; we're forecast to have good weather for the rest of the week.
  

6. keep cool / cool off (v)

Elsewhere in Beijing, people could be seen cooling off in fountains and swimming in the cold water of the canals within the city.

• Everyone here is trying to find ways to keep cool and stay hydrated.
• Shall we find a coffee shop or somewhere that's air conditioned, where we can get out of the heat and cool off.
  

7. take precautions

Authorities urged residents to take precautions by limiting time outside and avoiding physical exertion.

• Although a lot of people have stopped wearing face masks now, some people are still taking precautions to try and avoid catching Covid a second time.
• We're so sorry for the delay. We'll take precautions to make sure this problem doesn't occur again in future.
  

8. turn to (v)

Much of the online discussion on social media revolved around surviving the heatwave, and in typical Chinese style, the conversation often turned to food.

• I think that's everything covered from this part. Let me turn to the next issue.
• Actually, we were struggling on this, so we turned to our specialist team for advice and they helped us find a feasible method.
  

9. While…, … (for contrast)

While many people sensibly followed that advice and elected to spend the holiday sheltering from the heat in their air-conditioned homes, some tourists braved the heat to try and make the most of their holiday.

Mung bean soup and sour plum drink are popular options for the traditionalists, while ice-cream seemed to be the top choice among the youth.

• While we can't guarantee we'll reach a 98% purity, we're confident we can get above 95%.
• Route A gave us a 80% yield, while with route B, we were only able to obtain 65%.
  

10. a rise/fall in sth.

Hospitals reported a rise in patients with heatstroke.

• We noticed an unexpected rise in temperature during the reaction.
• The measures we implemented have led to a 15% rise in our productivity this quarter.
  

As a British person, it's difficult for me to cope with the extreme heat these days. How are you all coping with the heatwave? What do you do to keep cool? Is mung bean soup really an effective remedy?

Ian replied at 2023-7-5 22:35
As a British person, it's difficult for me to cope with the extreme heat these days. How are you all ...

Yes, I like mung bean soup in the summer, especially in so hot days. Icecream and air condition are also necessary.