Beijing's temperature soars past 40 degrees Celsius: Report

Beijing [China], July 7 : Beijing's temperature soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, as the Chinese capital faces one the most severe heat waves on record, CNN reported.

Beijing has since 1951 seen temperatures rising above 40C (104F) on 11 days, and five of them occurred over the past two weeks.

The city of 22 million has already seen a new record for its hottest day in June, with a high of 41.1C (106F) registered on June 22.

China has been gripped by scorching heat waves for weeks, which authorities said had arrived earlier and been more widespread and extreme than in previous years, according to CNN.

Northern China, a heavily populated region with hundreds of millions of residents, has been particularly hard hit.

Nine national-level weather stations in Beijing and the neighbouring province of Hebei on Thursday registered the hottest temperature for July ever recorded.

Beijing on Thursday issued its second red alert for heat in two weeks - the highest in a three-tier warning system. The city government advised outdoor work to be suspended when temperatures run high, and ordered authorities to take emergency measures to prevent heatstroke.

Beijing's culture and tourism bureau has also urged tour groups to minimize outdoor excursions. Last Sunday, a 48-year-old tour guide died of heatstroke in the Summer Palace, a vast imperial garden in northwest Beijing, according to state media, as per CNN.

Beijing's medical emergency hotline has since June been receiving an average of 30 calls a day related to heatstroke, the state-run Beijing Daily reported.

The persistent heat waves have put huge stress on the country's power grids as demand for air-conditioning soared, with some local governments urging companies and residents to curb the usage of electricity, as per CNN.

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