getslots|China Focus: North China battles lingering heat wave

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Beijing and several other provincial regions in north China are enduring a persistent heat wave, with various measures taken to mitigate the effects of the extreme heatgetslots.

The Central Meteorological Observatory on Tuesday continued to issue a yellow alert for a heat spell, as the daily highest temperatures are expected to reach 37 to 39 degrees Celsius in Beijing and the provinces including Hebei, Liaoning and Shandonggetslots.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Beijing is now under an orange alert for high temperatures with the highest temperature hitting 37 degrees Celsius on Monday and Tuesday.

Near the Beijing West Railway Station, much fewer pedestrians have been seen under the scorching heat. Many tourists who just arrived were seen holding mini electric fans and wearing sunproof clothing and masks.

"We have decided to go out in the morning and the evening, avoiding outdoor activities during the high-temperature period," said a tourist surnamed Li from Hubei Province who arrived in Beijing on Monday.

The Beijing Emergency Management Bureau has advised that the public reduce outdoor exposure to avoid excessive physical exertion and the municipal commission of education has ordered kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and vocational schools to reduce outdoor sports courses and outdoor activities during the high-temperature period.

At a trade union service station in Balizhuang subdistrict, Chaoyang District, outdoor workers, such as express couriers, security guards and cleaners, are welcome to grab a stick of ice cream and bottled water free of charge. Volunteers have also offered mung bean soup -- a traditional drink for expelling heat -- and handheld fans.

"The trade union has provided the bottled water, while an ice cream business has donated the ice cream," said Wu Jingjing, a trade union official with the subdistrict.

In Shandong, a major agricultural province in east China, days of extreme heat and continuous lack of rainfall have led to drought, and therefore, an urgent demand for crop irrigation.

Yu Jing, an official with the provincial water resources department, said the province has diverted more water from the Yellow River, with the daily diversion volume increasing from 9 million cubic meters to 38 million cubic meters.

As of Sunday, 14.75 million mu (about 983,000 hectares) of farmland had been irrigated, said Yu.

The weather department has forecast four rounds of rains from late June to early July in the province, which will alleviate the ongoing heat and drought to some extent.■