Beijing: On Friday, China issued its strongest heat warning for its northern regions as the nation's capital sweltered in temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Beijing recorded its hottest June day ever the day before when the temperature climbed to 41.1C, shattering the previous mark set in 1961.
Although the city is used to hot summers, China has recently experienced unusually high temperatures, which scientists believe is being exacerbated by climate change.
In large parts of northern and eastern China, including Beijing, the nearby city of Tianjin, and the bordering provinces of Hebei and Shandong, 185 red alerts were issued on Friday morning.
A four-tier system has a red warning as the highest level.
The red alert has not been used in Beijing since 2014, according to official weather services.
By Thursday, many surrounding areas were already under a red alert. On the social media site Weibo, a user quoted a number of other posts and asserted, "This weather is not human and it is only the month of June!"
In order to shield themselves from the sun, pedestrians in Beijing were frequently seen donning masks, hats, and visors.
Some people splashed around in the water along the city's canals to cool off from the heat.
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According to China's meteorological service, the temperature on Thursday reached 43C in the Yellow Sea-adjacent coastal province of Shandong.
17 weather stations in the area, according to local media, broke temperature records.
Forecasters warned that the extreme heat is likely to last in northern and eastern regions for at least eight days.