At least two people have died of heatstroke in a Chinese city and many others have fallen ill as temperatures remain around 40 degrees Celsius for an eighth day in the eastern part of the country.
Over the next three days, most areas south of the Yangtze River, which empties into the sea in Shanghai, are expected to record temperatures of 37-39 degrees Celsius, with the mercury in parts of Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang topping 40C, according to meteorologists.
After experiencing the hottest July in its modern history, China was hit by extreme heat, particularly in the eastern and southern parts of the country. On August 3, Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, recorded a heat record of 41,9 degrees Celsius.
Emergency services in Shenzhen, a city of 18 million people in Guangdong, said they responded to 88 heatstroke calls from August 1 to 6.
Two men, one in his 50s and the other in his 60s, ended up, according to the statement issued late yesterday.
China does not publish a tally of heat-related deaths, although local media occasionally report such figures citing local authorities.
In 2022, China was hit by the worst heat waves since 1961, with many parts of the country experiencing very high temperatures for 79 days from 13 June to 30 August. No official death toll was announced. China's Ministry of Emergency Management announced that 554 people died or were missing "due to natural disasters" that year.