Northern China swelters as mercury rises as high as 40 C

The strongest heat wave of the year so far has started to sweep across northern parts of China with Henan province hit the hardest, according to Weather China, a website of the China Meteorological Administration.

On Thursday, the temperature jumped to 40 C in northern China including Henan, Shaanxi and Hebei provinces, and the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions.

Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, was hit by its first 40 C day this year. The heat is forecast to stay at this level for the next week, the National Meteorological Center said.

Weather monitoring data showed that on Thursday, cities and counties in Henan province accounted for nine of the top 10 hottest places in China with temperatures exceeding 40 C.

"This level of heat intensity has been rarely seen in the same period in previous years. Such hot weather in certain places can be extreme, especially in Henan, Shandong and Shaanxi provinces," the website said.

The Henan emergency response department warned that outdoor workers, the elderly and children should reduce their exposure to the sun.

Authorities also said they needed to prevent too much electrical load on the network to prevent a potential risk of fire.

Li Shengli, a courier in Zhengzhou, said: "It is getting hotter here. I have prepared mung bean soup to prevent myself from getting heatstroke. My shirt got soaked with sweat after just two deliveries and my breath is hot."

Wang Jiajia, a government worker in the city, said that this year sun-proof clothing has been a bestseller among her female colleagues and the sunlight began to feel intense as early as 8 am.

"Fortunately, it is dry heat, which is better than the humid heat in southern provinces. We can find places including outdoor shelters to cool us down," she said.

The heat wave is expected to hit northern parts of China until June 26, the center said.

On Thursday, the Shaanxi provincial meteorological service issued a red warning for high temperatures, the highest warning level in the local four-tier system.

Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia, has seen highs of 30 C for four days, which is not common for June, the website said.

The temperature is forecast to hit 41 C on Sunday in Jinan, Shandong province, and will break the local high temperature record for mid-June, it said.

Min Yuqiu, an analyst with the website, said that hot weather will linger for a long time over the next few days due to a high pressure ridge and warm air moving north.