Feel Like Beijing Summers are Getting Hotter? You're Not Wrong

Original Joey Knotts theBeijinger

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The whole earth is heating up, and Beijing is no exception. This Monday, temperatures reached a scorching 37.3 degrees Celsius, nearing the highest temperature recorded in Beijing during the same ten-day period over the past decade (39 degrees in June 2018), and making shorts not just a viable option, but practically a necessity.

Since then, we've had a mild respite thanks to a little rain but it has so far failed to clear the skies of that PM2.5 blown in from Tangshan, and more high temperatures are expected.

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Just as this year’s winter was on the warm side, it should be no surprise if temperatures continue to be higher than average. After all, there has been an upward trend in both average temperatures and the number of high-temperature days over the past five decades, and the past decade saw the biggest jump in average temperatures since 1971-1981.

Data via Qianlong

According to reporting by Qianlong, Beijing has already seen three "high-temperature days" (defined as days 35 degrees Celsius or above) this month compared to the June average of 2.8 days, and we're only ten days in. If the weather continues like this, we could be looking at another summer like 2017 and 2018, in which there were more than 20 high-temperature days – almost twice the decade average.

Already, we're looking at the third-hottest June on record as defined by the number of high-temperature days. Meteorologists will also be on the lookout for mercury breaching the 40-degree mark this month, which has only been recorded by Beijing’s Nanjiao observatory four times since 1971.

The city has advised residents to use sunscreen regularly, stay hydrated in order to avoid heatstroke, avoid outdoor activities around midday, and be aware of fire precautions, as Beijing summers can also be quite dry.