Beijing Over 40 Degrees... First Ever Three Consecutive Days of Red Alert

Red Alert Also After 9 Years

In northern and northwestern regions of China, including Beijing, an ‘abnormal heatwave’ with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius continues. The Beijing Meteorological Observatory issued a red alert for the first time in history for three consecutive days.

At 3:19 PM on the 22nd, the temperature measured at the Nanjiao (南郊) Observatory in Beijing reached 41.1 degrees Celsius, and on the 24th, the daytime high temperature is forecasted to rise to 40 degrees. Since observations began at the Nanjiao Observatory, temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees only three times, including this day.

Photo by AP [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Beijing Meteorological Observatory issued a red alert for high temperatures for three consecutive days. China’s heat alerts are divided into four levels: blue, yellow, orange, and red. A blue alert is issued when the highest temperature is 35 degrees or above within 48 hours, a yellow alert is issued when the highest temperature is 35 degrees or above for three consecutive days. An orange alert is issued when the highest temperature is 37 degrees or above within 24 hours, and a red alert corresponds to the highest temperature being 40 degrees or above within 24 hours.

Beijing’s temperature rose to 41.1 degrees on the 22nd and surpassed 40 degrees again on the 23rd. This is the first time in recorded history that temperatures have reached 40 degrees for two consecutive days. The red alert was also issued for the first time in nine years since May 29, 2014.

High temperatures have persisted in Beijing since the beginning of this month. As of the 22nd, there have been nine days with temperatures above 35 degrees, and if this weather continues until the 25th, it will set a new record for the longest number of high-temperature days in June. The previous record for the most high-temperature days in June was 11 days, recorded in 1952 and 2000 respectively.

The Meteorological Observatory forecasts that the heatwave with daytime highs approaching 40 degrees will continue in the northern regions until early next month when the rainy season begins.

Lei Lei (雷?), chief forecaster at the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, said, “Beijing is affected by a pressure ridge, and under such conditions, the clear skies further increase the radiation temperature. When July arrives, atmospheric humidity will rise and cloud cover will increase, so the high-temperature phenomenon will be relatively alleviated.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.