The hot and humid weather in the Chinese national capital of
Beijing will continue for several more days,
Beijing Youth
Daily reported Thursday.
Since Tuesday, Beijingers have been living in a natural sauna: the
unbearable heat outdoors has caused clothes to become saturated and
cling to the skin, said the newspaper.
Although the highest temperature on Wednesday was 34 degrees
Celsius, the humidity was over 80 percent, which could raise the
incidence of heatstroke.
Sources from the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Observatory said
a band of subtropical high pressure is affecting the north China
plain where Beijing is situated, making it difficult for ground
moisture to be absorbed into the atmosphere so it hangs over the
city instead.
According to sources, a reduction in humidity and heat could come
about Sunday.
The hot and humid weather also increased air pollution Wednesday,
the newspaper quoted the Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau
as saying.
The hot weather has raised the incidence of illness. The 120
First-Aid Centers in Beijing received more than 230 phone calls for
help on Wednesday alone with most of the patients having
cardiovascular symptoms or accidents.
Medical experts suggest that a wise way to survive the hot weather
is to reduce outdoor activities.
(Xinhua News
Agency August 2, 2002)