(Clearwisdom.net) After more than ten days of rainfall in Beijing, the average daily temperature suddenly rose and remained above 30 degrees Celsius for the next ten days. It soared to 36 degree Celsius on July 12. All of Beijing has been suffering in the extremely hot weather.

According to the Central News Agency's report on July12, the Beijing Meteorological Observatory reported that in early July, the average temperature in Beijing reached above 30 degree Celsius, two degrees higher than that in the corresponding period of preceding years. Meteorological expert Li Huan An said, since the beginning of July, because of less rainfall, and relatively extended sunshine time period, the ground temperature in Beijing area reached its peak value. The latest information from Beijing Nanjiao Observatory showed that the ground temperature on July 11 peaked at 54.9 degree Celsius.

Beijing residents have truly experienced "being steamed in natural sauna bath." Among passersby on the streets, women wear less clothes with most parts of body exposed. Gentlemen become topless. The elderly wear hats, each holding a rush-leaf fan at hand.

Many citizens hid in offices with air conditioners in the daytime, and hurried home in taxies with air conditioners after work to evade the intense summer heat.

Many businesses and peddlers had no business due to the heat wave. An older man who sells newspapers said, "very few people buy newspapers in the great hot days, let alone magazines. He dared to order only one or two copies of each kind. The price for fresh flowers also drops with few buyers on the street."

The meteorological expert said that sustained hot and humid weather could create an inconvenience for older people, in particular for cardiovascular patients. "Air conditioning sickness" would also trouble the Beijing residents. He also predicted that the hot weather would last until July 18.

Please read the following related reports from the July 13 "Beijing Youth Daily":

Sustained hot and humid weather led to the suddenly increasing consumption of electricity in the Beijing area. At noon of July 12, the electricity consumption reached to 8.06 million kilowatts, 1.01 million kilowatts more than that last year when the power grid load reached the highest point. The increasing range reaches 14.3%, the highest in history.

According to Beijing power supply bureau vice-Chief engineer Yang Chao, the sudden increase of electricity consumption is mainly because of high temperatures, air conditioners, electric fans and similar temperature decrease equipment. The electricity consumed by such equipment has surpassed three million kilowatts, approaches 40% of power grid total load of the area.

Reporters got information from the city running water company that, until 8:00 a.m., the day before yesterday (July 10), the water volume consumed by the whole city achieved 2.22 million cubic meters, the highest point since the beginning of the summer.

At around 9:00 a.m. yesterday morning, reporters in the Dongdan street intersection observed that the policemen directing traffic had their upper garments completely soaked by the sweat, as were their hats. East City Traffic Section Chief Yang Yi told the reporter that when the temperature hit 36 Celsius, the surface temperature of the pavement can reach 50 degrees Celsius. Between the heat and the pollution from automobile exhausts, the traffic police's working conditions is extremely difficult.

In the Water Paradise in Yuyuantan park, the reporter sees numerous people in the water, leaving no space for tourists to swim. A staff in the administrative office told the reporter that the water paradise received more than 1000 people each day, one times surpassed the usual number.

The burning hot weather sees more afflicted with heat-stroke appear in the big hospitals' emergency rooms and first-aid centers. Many of those afflicted are students having fun in the summer heat and tourists from outside Beijing. In addition, the number of elderly patients suffering strokes and heart disease suddenly increased.

The Beijing first aid center reports that since the beginning of the high temperatures and humid weather, daily calls for ambulances increased 45%, and the rarely seen rise in Beijing heat-stroke patients arose. Sometimes there were eight heat-stroke patients a day receiving emergency treatment.

The sale of air conditioners grows ten times

In these two days, the air conditioning sales volume in Beijing rapidly climbs along with the high temperature. The sales volume of various markets and the electric appliance shops grew in times compared to that several days ago. Blue Island Building sold more than 200 air conditioners yesterday, while it only sold a dozen a day when it poured heavy rains several days ago, ten times number of air conditioners sold last week. Only yesterday, chain shops of Beijing's Guomei, an electric appliances franchise, sold more than 8000 air conditioners.

Early on the morning of July 8, when the Tongzhou precinct police patrolled the area, they captured a man from outside Beijing climbing the balcony guard rail to try to get into the apartment, and was suspected of stealing. He confessed that since July, he and other people took advantage of the burning hot summer and residents who left their windows open while asleep, carried tools and climbed up the balcony guard rail to enter and burglarize apartments. Within ten days, they have committed eleven crimes, and stolen telephones, pagers and cash that valued over 30 thousand Yuan.