Rain brings relief in Beijing as scorching heatwave persists for 18th day
Heatwave makes life miserable in much of mainland's central and eastern regions, with drinking water shortages in Hunan, Jiangxi
The relentless summer sun prompted national meteorological authorities yesterday to issue their highest weather alert for intense heat for the 18th straight day, while torrential rainfall battered Beijing and forced the cancellation of at least 130 flights in the capital.
The notice extends the longest stretch of consecutive days with a heat warning since the National Meteorological Centre started issuing them in 2007.
Hebei , Tianjin and Shanxi also saw rain bring a bit of relief yesterday, but a heatwave continued to scorch central and eastern regions of the country, with the mercury topping 40 degrees Celsius in Zhejiang , Jiangsu and Anhui .
"The ongoing heatwave is unprecedented in terms of the area affected, its intensity and duration," he said.
Lightning killed a sanitation worker at Beijing Capital International Airport yesterday, and more than 100 flights were delayed, in addition to those cancelled. The worker was found dead on the tarmac, with his uniform in tatters and a mobile phone beside him, The Beijing News reported.