A delivery worker cools off with towels on his head in Shanghai on August 3, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Shanghai and Zhejiang Province in East China have recently endured continued searing temperatures, setting temperature records in many cities and leading to increased health risks such as heat stroke among residents. Multiple authorities have taken moves in response to the extreme heat wave.

As of 4:30 pm on Sunday, most parts of Zhejiang topped 40 C. In Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang, the highest temperature peaked at 41.9 C, with neighboring cities smashing local records for extreme heat.

It is expected that the northern cities of Zhejiang are likely to see 10 days or more of intense heat, CCTV news reported.

The Shanghai Meteorological Service issued an orange alert for high temperature at 8 am on Monday, with most parts of Shanghai set to hit a temperature of over 37 C.

Continuing to suffer from the blistering heat, residents living in Shanghai and Zhejiang complained that they were overwhelmed.

Some netizens humorously joked that eggs could be roasted on the ground, as the extreme surface temperature in Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou reached 72.3 C.

A woman surnamed Wu, a Shanghai-based worker, told the Global Times that she went to a park on Sunday after breakfast for exercise and fell victim to heatstroke within an hour. 

Affected by the ongoing heat, local authorities have been stepping up efforts to beat the heatwave. The Zhejiang authorities urged enterprises to pause scheduling outdoor work should the temperature exceed 40 C, while also requested businesses to make sure that pregnant workers are not permitted to work outside when the temperature rises above 35 C or in offices where the temperature reaches 33 C or above.

Hangzhou provides a safe and enjoyable environment for residents by utilizing air-raid shelters and has continued to renovate and upgrade the shelters. The air-raid shelters are now equipped with infrastructure such as Wi-Fi and water fountains.

CCTV news indicated that the average temperature of July 2024 in China reached a new record high in the observation record, making it the hottest July in history. 

A number of cities in eastern China, including Shanghai and Hangzhou, will continue to experience severe heat in the coming week, which may smash the record of the highest temperature, CCTV news said.

Li Yawei contributed to this story