Wifi-equipped air raid shelters have been opened in China for those seeking shade, as much of Europe, the US and China swelter under a heatwave
Residents wearing masks rest in an air raid shelter opened to residents to cool off from the hot weather in Nanjing in east China’s Jiangsu province this week , with soaring temperatures across Europe, China and the US forcing some underground to beat the heat as wildfires rage elsewhere.
Near Pombal, helicopters dropped water on flames ripping through a hillside attacked with highly flammable pine and eucalyptus trees. In Catalonia in the northeast, authorities suspended camping and sporting activities in around 275 towns and villages to prevent fire risks and restricted farm work involving machinery. Areas of Galicia and Extremadura remained on extreme alert for temperatures expected to touch 44 C . In Madrid, residents and tourists gulped down ice cream and took to the shade, while zookeepers fed animals frozen popsicles made from fruit, beef and fish.
Growers warned of a significant reduction in crop yields earlier this week and a state of emergency has been declared in five northern regions with several municipalities including Verona and Pisa announcing water rationing. More than 100 towns in the Po Valley are also rationing water. The World Meteorological Organisation said on Friday the heatwave would trap atmospheric pollutants, degrading the air quality, especially in towns and cities.
In Shanghai, an image of two Covid testers wearing full hazmat suits with ice blocks strapped to their head went viral. Construction work was banned in the city while sales of chilled melon and crayfish soared. At a wildlife park in the city animals munched through eight tonnes of ice each day.