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The swimmers that will go to any lengths to cool off from China's record heatwave
By
Mail Online Reporter
Last updated at 11:35 AM on 6th July 2010
Pity the poor swimmer who wanted to do some lengths. These extraordinary images show a busy Monday at the Suining public baths in China's Sichuan province.
The pool is so crowded that only a rubber ring can ensure bathers of any personal space at all.
China is currently enjoying, if that's the right word, a record-breaking heatwave with temperatures regularly soaring above 95 degrees Fahrenheit; 35 Celsius.
Making a splash: These swimmers took to the water in Daying county of Suining, Sichuan province on Monday to escape the record-breaking temperatures raging across China
Locals have been seeking some respite from the sweltering heat by crowding into the local swimming pool, in such numbers that they seem to resemble some particularly exotic breakfast cereal.
Temperatures in Beijing peaked at over 40 degrees Celsius on Monday, the highest for this time of year since 1951, according to figures from China's National Meteorological Centre (NMC).
Areas in northern China, including Beijing, and Hebei and Shaanxi provinces and eastern China's Shandong province, will bake in extreme temperatures ranging from 38 to 40 degrees Celsius.
Chilling out: Residents of China's Sichuan province crowd into a swimming pool to escape the record heatwave
The NMC has issued a yellow-level weather alert, the third most severe on the Chinese system, warning that the heatwave affecting many parts of China will continue.
Under a yellow alert, people are advised to minimise outdoor activities in the afternoon and employers are asked to take measures to protect staff working outdoors from heatstroke.
The extreme heat has been causing energy shortages in some parts of China as air conditioning and refrigeration systems are pushed to the limit and blackouts have been imposed to conserve power.
Glorious: For those who find the main pool a little too crowded, a mud bath is the ideal spot to cool off
Hospitals have been under increased strain too as the very old and the very young struggle to cope with the extreme heat.
The Fudan University Children's Hospital, in Shanghai, is seeing over 500 new patients every day with symptoms including dehydration and heatstroke.
'Most of the illnesses are caused because these little babies cannot adapt to air-conditioners or take improper food' said hospital spokesman Luo Weifen.
Chinese government officials are considering seeding clouds to create a rainstorm in the hope of alleviating the worst effects of this protracted hot spell.
Whether is succeeds or not, there's always the prospect of a dip in the pool. Everybody who's anybody in Sichuan will be there.
Is the guy in the third picture on a beach in America?
- Claudia, Holland, 09/7/2010 12:49
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