Beijing issues highest-ever 'red' weather warning; temperatures to cross 40C

China's capital Beijing on Friday upgraded its weather warning to "red", which inthe nation's colour-coded alert system is the highest level. As per the city, most parts of the Chinese capital can potentially roast in temperatures of up to a high of 40-degree Celsius or about 104 Fahrenheit.

Weather warning

The China Meteorological Administration, the nation's meteorological agency, also warned that it expects the high temperatures to persist across much of the country’s north for the next eight to ten days.

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It expects high-temperature monitoring and warnings to continue on a rolling basis in many locations, including the capital Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Inner Mongolia, added the agency. On Thursday, in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, which boasts a population of over 13 million, smashing local records, the temperature reached 41.2C.

What's the temperature right now?

As per Reuters, on Thursday, the maximum temperature in Beijing breached 41C. The city of nearly 22 million people shattered its record for the hottest day in June.

Previously the hottest day in June or the June high was logged on June 10th, 1961 at 40.6C. On Thursday, a weather station in Beijing's southern suburbs, considered to be the city's main temperature gauge, recorded 41.1C in the afternoon.

Thursday's daily temperature also happens to be the city's second-highest logged temperature overall. China's Beijing logged its highest temperature on 24 July 1999, when the city recorded just below 41.9C. On Thursday, people on the streets of Beijing, as per AFP, were seen wearing masks, hats and visors to protect themselves from the sun.

On Friday morning, across the nation, 185 red alerts were issued across swathes of northern and eastern China.

China's weather system

In China, the weather-warning system has four tiers; red, orange, yellow and blue. Here, red stands for the most severe heat, orange is comparatively less heat, it is then followed by Yellow and blue.

The red alert indicates that within 24 hours the temperatures are going to rise above 40C.

Local authorities on Friday also issued warnings regarding the high temperatures and the detrimental effect on health. They warned that the extended period of high temperatures could lead to an increased risk of stroke. They have advised people to drink at least 1.5 litres of water daily and try to limit their time outdoors.

(With inputs from agencies)

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