The hottest July on record

More than 10 people have died in Shanghai as the city bakes.

Shanghai Hot
The extreme weather is also affecting the surrounding provinces, including Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui [EPA]

Shanghai has sweated through the hottest July since records began 140 years ago.

Temperatures at the domestic airport, Hongqiao, reached at least 35C on 27 days of the month.

A new temperature record of 40.6C was reported in downtown Shanghai on Friday 26. This topped a previous high record of 40.2C reported in 1934.

The extreme weather is also affecting the surrounding provinces, with high temperature warnings in place for Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.

Hospitals across the region have reported a jump in patients suffering heat stroke and at least 10 people are known to have died in Shanghai itself.

To prove how hot it was, a TV station in Shanghai cooked a slice of meat using only the power of the sun. After just 10 minutes on the pavement, it was cooked to medium-well perfection.

One pedestrian was quoted as saying, “It’s really hot. I felt like my butt was about to start on fire after I sat down for a second.”

Many of the tourists visiting the city said they couldn’t wait to get back home.

Source: Al Jazeera