A blistering heatwave has gripped the sprawling metropolis of Chongqing, southwest China, with temperatures soaring above 40°C (104°F) for the seventh straight day, pushing residents to seek refuge in unconventional ways.
The sweltering conditions prompted authorities to issue a red alert, the highest level of heat warning, on Thursday, as 21 of the city’s 38 districts were forecast to reach up to 43°C. A peak of 44°C is expected by Sunday, marking a severe departure from historical norms in a city where July temperatures rarely topped 39°C.
“It’s getting hotter and hotter,” said Liu Fengying, a 60-year-old resident, as she joined around 100 retirees in an air-conditioned subway entrance to escape the afternoon heat. “Even with the AC at 17°C, it didn’t cool down last night.”
The record-breaking temperatures have strained China’s national power grid, with demand surpassing 1.5 billion kilowatts, a new high that has been broken four times in July alone.
Despite the extreme weather, some residents are finding familiar comfort in the city’s natural and cultural staples. Xie, 79, cooled off with an evening swim in a tributary of the Yangtze River. “Chongqing has always been a furnace city, but we have the river to cool down,” he said before diving in.
Others, like 36-year-old Qiu Xianhui, took to Chongqing’s signature hotpot, served in a naturally cool World War II-era bomb shelter. “We’re locals, so we’re used to 40-plus degree weather. We’ve seen it all,” he said.
Since May, Chongqing has logged twice as many days above 35°C as the historical average, adding to growing concerns over China’s vulnerability to climate extremes.
As the heat intensifies, residents continue to adapt, but for many, the growing frequency and severity of heatwaves are a stark reminder of shifting climate patterns.
Written By Rodney Mbua
