China Opens Bomb Shelters for People to Escape Heatwave

Cities around China opened bomb shelters to provide citizens with refuge from the heat, as exceptionally high temperatures across the country has begun to claim lives.

Northern China is suffering record-breaking heat, which is exacerbated by drought. According to the National Climate Centre, Beijing had more than nine consecutive days with temperatures surpassing 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), a record since 1961.

Over the last week, cities such as Hangzhou on China’s east coast, Wuhan in the country’s centre, and Shijiazhuang in Hebei province, which borders Beijing, have announced the opening of air raid shelters to citizens seeking to escape the heat.
Authorities have issued health warnings and have banned outdoor work in the city and elsewhere.

So far, the blazing heat has been blamed for two deaths in Beijing. A tour guide fainted and died of heat stroke while giving a tour of the Summer Palace, a sprawling 18th-century imperial park, according to health officials. A woman died from heat stroke in Beijing last month as well.

Health officials in Shaoxing, a city near Hangzhou, confirmed Thursday that they had recorded heat-related deaths but did not provide any details.

For years, Chinese cities like Chongqing, a southern metropolis notorious for its hot summers, have utilised their air raid tunnels as public cooling centres.

During the Japanese invasion beginning in 1937, many Chinese cities began constructing air raid shelters. When China’s ties with the Soviet Union worsened and Beijing feared a nuclear attack, the construction drive resumed in the late 1950s.

Shelters now frequently include seating areas as well as water, beverages, heat stroke medicine, and, in some circumstances, luxuries such as Wi-Fi, TV sets, and table tennis equipment.

Weather officials issued a severe drought warning for northern China on Thursday, endangering crops and pressuring overworked power infrastructure. Meanwhile, major flooding in south China has displaced thousands of people in recent weeks.

Heat waves occur in China, particularly during the summer months, and can have serious consequences for the population, agriculture, and the environment. Heat waves are defined as extended periods of extremely hot weather with high temperatures and humidity levels. Here are some important facts concerning heat waves in China:

1. Heat Wave Frequency and Intensity: In recent years, heat waves in China have become more common and strong. Climate change, combined with local weather patterns and urbanisation, are thought to be major factors to this tendency.

2. Regional Variances: Because China is a large country with a variety of temperature zones, the severity and timing of heat waves can vary by location. The most affected locations are often in the country’s central and eastern regions, including cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Chongqing.

Heat waves offer considerable health concerns, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and individuals with pre-existing medical issues. During extreme heat events, heat-related ailments such as heatstroke, dehydration, and respiratory issues can occur.

4. Impact on Agriculture: In China, heat waves can have a negative impact on agricultural production. High temperatures, combined with dryness, can result in lower crop yields, livestock losses, and an increased danger of wildfires. This may have an impact on food security and lead to increased food costs.

5. Energy Demand: As people rely more on air conditioning and other cooling equipment during heat waves, the demand for power rises. This puts a burden on the electrical grid, potentially leading to power shortages and blackouts if supply cannot keep up with demand.

6. Government Reaction: The Chinese government has taken a number of steps to alleviate the effects of heat waves. These include issuing heat warnings, providing heat stress avoidance advice, and opening cooling centres in urban areas to provide respite to susceptible individuals.

7. Urban Heat Island Effect: The rising urbanisation of Chinese cities, as well as the building of concrete structures, contribute to the urban heat island effect. Because of this tendency, cities are substantially warmer than surrounding rural areas, enhancing the intensity of heat waves in cities.

Climate change mitigation, urban development techniques, and public awareness programmes to improve heat safety are all part of China’s efforts to battle heat waves. However, given the complexities of climate change, continuous efforts to adapt to and lessen the effects of heat waves in the country are required.

The average global temperature reached a new unofficial record high on Thursday, the third such milestone in a week that was already the hottest on record.

Building Collapses into Raging River in Southwestern China [Video]

Building Collapses into Raging River in Southwestern China [Video]