Blazing sun has driven away the prolonged rainy clouds that hovered over northern China for several weeks. Dry, hot weather has again dominated this region.
Beijing, southeastern parts of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, most regions of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in North China and southern parts of Northeast China saw clear and scorching days reaching 35 Centigrade over the weekend, with temperatures reaching as high as 38 Centigrade in North China's Hebei Province, and central parts of Inner Mongolia, according to information provided by the State Meteorological Observatory.
Sunny and blistering days with a maximum temperature around 35 Centigrade will continue through this week in most regions of northern China, including Beijing and the Yellow-Huaihe river valley, according to the observatory.
Dry and hot summers, with which northerners are quite familiar, have come back after a spell of wet and cool weather.
Air conditioners are working in full swing, when only a few days before, stoves were used to dry up damp rooms.
Colourful parasols and sun helmets replaced umbrellas and raincoats sheltering against rays of sun instead of raindrops.
Sales of ice cream, iced water and soft drinks, as well as watermelons, have soared since the weekend, and swimming pools have been overcrowded with people.
The recent prolonged rain that began in mid-June provided northern residents with a rainy season that is associated with South China.
North China has experienced continuous rain in 1985 and 1986, but neither year saw the rain lasting more than seven days, statistics showed.
Most regions of South China, such as areas south of the Yangtze River, have also experienced more precipitation this summer than in previous years.
Heavy rain or torrential rain is forecast for Southwest China's Yunnan Province, eastern parts of South China, Zhejiang Province in East China and coastal areas beginning today and lasting until tomorrow morning.
Temperatures will stay high nationwide, with dry and scorching weather in the north and wet and sweltering weather in the south, according to the observatory.
Sunday marked the "Slight Heat" day in the Chinese lunar calendar, which will be followed by the "Great Heat" day on July 23, which are seasonal division points that mark a period of hot summer.
(China Daily July 9, 2002)
