Beijing yesterday embraced its earliest summer in 36 years, as the
average temperature exceeded 22 C for the fifth day in a row.
The mercury climbed to 33.5 C yesterday, the highest so far this
year and the hottest on that date since 1986. However, today's
maximum is expected to be just 22 C thanks to clouds brought in
with a cold front, the Beijing Meteorological Station said. Today's
low will be about 13 C.
Sunday was lixia in Chinese solar terms, which literally means
"advent of summer". In meteorological terms, however, summer is
said to have arrived when the average temperature hits 22 C for
five consecutive days.
Beijing met that condition between Thursday and yesterday, the
station said.
This year is the earliest summer in the capital since 1971.
Records show that since 2000, summer generally arrives in the
capital in middle or late May. Before 2000, the season started even
later.
Weathermen are also predicting an early summer for Shanghai, as
sunny days are expected there over the coming week, local media
reported.
Dai Jianhua, a weatherman with the city's meteorological center,
said: "If the average daily temperature remains above 22 C until
Friday, Shanghai will record its earliest summer in 100 years."
Last month was also warmer than usual. A report released by the
National Meteorological Center on Sunday showed that the average
temperature for April across the country was about 1 C higher than
normal. It was also predicted that the temperature nationwide would
remain higher or about average for the next 10 days.
The hot weather has certainly been good news for sellers of cold
food and drinks.
Sun Liwei, who sells ice creams and drinks outside a Beijing
market, said his daily turnover had almost tripled in the past
week.
"Instead of buying one or two ice creams, people have been
taking home 10 or more," he said. "Beer has been selling like hot
cakes, too. I am selling about 400 to 500 bottles a day."
However, experts from the capital's disease control and
prevention centre said that eating too much cold food could lead to
stomach and intestinal complaints. The rapid rise in temperature
might also trigger illnesses such as asthma, fever and
cardiovascular diseases.
(China Daily May 8, 2007)
