Updated 13:06 | Posted 12:55 p.m
As the heat reaches new record highs, Chinese authorities are opening shelters for their citizens. Cities such as Hangzhou on the east coast and Wuhan in central China have announced the opening of shelters for citizens who need to escape the extreme heat.
Several people are reported to have died in the recent heat wave, which extends over large parts of the country. In Beijing, a tourist guide has died of a heart attack due to the extreme heat, according to the city’s health authority.
In the city of Chongqing, in southwest China and known for its hot and dry summers, the city’s shelter tunnels have long been used as cooling rooms for its residents.
In many Chinese cities, shelters were built in the late 1930s in connection with the Japanese invasion of the country. Today, shelters are often equipped with seating and have access to water and refreshments. In some cases there is also internet connection, TV and table tennis.