Heat Scorches China 158℉ on ground, glass shatters, ACs burst into flames; Video n transcript CofA 25 Heating Planet blog

"Electric cars bubble, shoes get stuck in hot asphalt, people take refuge in subway stations," this video is like a cry for help from the other side of the planet, "geese in ponds die, unprecedented heat for July, like living in a sauna" China Observer channel report Jul 17, 2025

Hanan, how hot is it really? I was just 0:05 standing still at a red light, not even 0:06 moving, and I was already drenched in 0:08 sweat. But that's not even the worst 0:10 part. How did the heat melt my shoes? 0:12 This is way too hot. In summer, driving 0:15 a car feels like sitting on a burning 0:16 stove. One woman driving a Porsche had 0:19 just sat down when she immediately 0:20 jumped up. She said, "Is this seat 0:22 trying to cook me alive?" Under the 0:24 video, someone left a comment. Turns out 0:26 a Porsche gets just as hot as my 0:28 bicycle. A million yen and a hundred yen 0:30 don't feel that different when it comes 0:31 to the heat. In another clip, a young 0:34 woman tried to sit on her electric 0:35 scooter, but the seat was so hot she 0:37 bounced right off. Same thing in 0:39 Guangshi. After days of scorching heat, 0:41 a man tried to get on his electric 0:43 scooter and jumped straight up from how 0:44 hot the seat was. In yet another case, a 0:47 man was driving on the highway when he 0:49 realized his battery was almost dead. To 0:51 save power, he didn't dare to turn on 0:53 the air conditioning. Sweat poured down 0:55 his face as the heat inside the car 0:56 became unbearable. Honey. 0:59 Yes. 1:00 Can we turn on the AC? 1:01 No. If we do, we won't make it to a 1:04 charging station or power station. 1:06 But it's too hot. Hang there. 1:08 I can't anymore. It's 38°. How much 1:11 farther? 1:12 Just over 10 km. We're almost there. 1:15 It's way too hot. 1:17 Well, that's what happens when you buy 1:18 an electric car. No choice. We have to 1:21 stick with it. 1:22 This summer, the intense heat hasn't 1:23 just made people sweat. It's also 1:25 exposed to the weakness of electric 1:26 vehicles. Electricity prices have 1:29 soared, and what used to be a 1:30 money-saving option now costs almost as 1:32 much as driving a small gas car. In some 1:35 places, public charging stations have 1:36 doubled their prices. And with charging 1:38 still difficult in many areas, electric 1:40 vehicle owners are facing a lot of 1:42 frustration. Recently, nearly 20 1:44 provinces across China have been hit by 1:46 extreme heat waves. In many places, 1:48 temperatures have gone above 40 degrees 1:50 C, and ground temperatures have reached 1:52 as high as 82 degrees C. When combined 1:55 with high humidity and strong sunlight, 1:57 it creates a true sauna effect. This 1:59 kind of heat wave is rare in China's 2:00 history. Wide reaching, intense, and 2:02 long-lasting. It's taking a serious toll 2:05 on daily life, farming, energy supply, 2:07 and public health. Recently, due to 2:09 extreme heat, many car hoods have 2:11 started to balloon up, catching the 2:13 attention of netzens. People have been 2:15 commenting, "This shape looks pretty 2:16 cool. If you didn't know, you might 2:18 think the car is pregnant. How do you 2:20 even drive with the front all blocked 2:22 like that? I thought it was a new car 2:23 model. Looks pretty flashy. That's a bit 2:26 over the top, right?" Oh my gosh, this 2:28 is too funny. So, what is going on here? 2:30 Let's hear what the experts have to say. 2:32 If you suddenly notice a big bubble 2:34 forming on your car while driving, 2:36 resist the urge to pop it because if 2:38 you're not careful, it can lead to tens 2:40 of thousands of y in damages. These 2:42 bubbles are slowly growing like 2:43 balloons. Why do these bubbles appear on 2:46 cars? They are most common on cars that 2:48 have had a color change, film wrapping 2:50 or PPF, paint protection film. The 2:53 reason these bubbles form is due to the 2:54 heat, especially in the summer. When car 2:57 films are exposed to intense sunlight, 2:59 this can often happen. In this case, you 3:01 shouldn't use scissors to pop them. The 3:03 right way to handle it is to use a heat 3:05 lamp to shine on the bubble. After a 3:07 while of heating, the car film will 3:09 slowly smooth back out. 3:11 In a video from Jung Joe's subway 3:12 station, it's hard to watch the scene 3:14 unfold. It's not easy for workers trying 3:16 to make a living, especially in this 3:18 heat. The subway station has become the 3:20 best place for workers to cool off and 3:22 escape the scorching sun. On the 3:24 streets, the road surface was so hot 3:25 that it became sticky under temperatures 3:27 over 40° C. A woman's flip-flop got 3:30 stuck, and she couldn't stand the heat 3:32 anymore. She quickly ran across the 3:34 street, not even caring about her shoes. 3:36 In Hanan, this heat wave has become 3:38 intense. On July 15th, the highest 3:40 temperature in Junga reached 44.2° C, 3:44 and some residents reported their window 3:45 shattered into a spiderweb pattern from 3:47 the heat. 3:51 Today, Joel, it's so hot that even the 3:53 glass is cracking. The temperature hit 3:55 43° today. 3:57 Around 10:00 a.m. on July 15th, Mr. Ten 3:59 from Jung Jo noticed that the inner 4:01 layer of the glass on his bathroom 4:02 window had cracked into a spiderweb 4:04 pattern. He said the air conditioning 4:06 was set to about 27° C, but the bathroom 4:09 window faces east and gets direct 4:11 sunlight. He said, "I didn't hear any 4:13 sound and it cracked from the inside, so 4:15 it wasn't caused by an impact. It must 4:17 have been the extreme heat." His phone 4:19 showed that the temperature would reach 4:20 43° that day. He contacted someone to 4:23 replace the glass, but since it was so 4:25 hot, they were too busy and would come 4:26 the next day. According to an official 4:28 notice from Hanan, the heat will persist 4:31 with road temperatures exceeding 72° C, 4:34 drivers are advised to be cautious on 4:36 the roads and be aware of the risk of 4:37 tire blowouts. A local responded to a 4:40 request asking how hot it is in Hanan. 4:43 Let's put it this way. Besides the rooms 4:45 with air conditioning, going to the 4:46 living room almost makes me faint. 4:48 Another person confirmed the heat, 4:50 saying, "I just got home last night, 4:51 killed a chicken at noon, and just had 4:53 another one die from the heat. I can't 4:55 even eat at all." On July 15th, a 4:58 reporter in Jung Joe tested the 4:59 temperature on the road. They placed a 5:01 frying pan on the ground, and cracked an 5:02 egg, added a few large shrimp, and some 5:04 pork belly. After an hour of direct 5:06 sunlight, the thermometer broke, reading 5:08 over 70° C. The egg solidified, the 5:11 shrimp turned red, and the pork was 5:13 partially cooked. On July 16th, another 5:16 in Hunan tried to fry an egg on the 5:18 asphalt. Within moments, the egg started 5:20 sizzling, and the egg whites began to 5:22 solidify with little bubbles popping up 5:24 around the edges. This extreme heat test 5:26 quickly went viral. 5:29 The combination of high heat and 5:30 humidity makes it difficult for the body 5:32 to cool down, increasing the risk of 5:34 heat stroke. 5:39 On July 12th, during an international 5:41 boxing match in Chenol, an athlete from 5:43 Ronda suffered heat stroke before the 5:45 match. During weigh in that morning, he 5:47 was 1.5 kg over the weight limit. 5:49 Normally in this heat, he could easily 5:50 lose that weight by sweating it out in 5:52 just half an hour. But on his first lap 5:55 around the track, he collapsed from the 5:56 heat. He told event organizers, "Trench 5:59 is hotter than Africa." 6:00 Additionally, in Shing Shang, Hanan, 6:02 five domesticated white geese died from 6:04 the heat in a pond. On July 14th, Mr. 6:07 Jong, a manor owner, spoke about the 6:09 extreme heat in Hanan. He said even the 6:11 geese in the water can't survive this 6:13 heat. The water temperature is around 50 6:15 to 60° C. He mentioned that the 6:17 thermometer on the farm had bent from 6:18 the heat. After raising geese for more 6:20 than 10 years, this was the first time 6:22 he experienced such extreme 6:24 temperatures. Geese are typically hearty 6:26 animals, able to tolerate both heat and 6:28 cold, but these geese actually died from 6:29 the heat in the water. Now, Mr. Jong has 6:32 to rely on wellwater to cool the geese 6:33 down. This story made it to the trending 6:35 list on July 16th. In addition to Han in 6:38 Yentai Shandong, the heat wave lasted 6:40 for several days and caused domestic 6:41 geese to die from the heat. China is 6:44 currently experiencing extreme high 6:45 temperatures with many regions 6:47 surpassing 40° C. Areas with 6:50 temperatures above 35° C cover over 2 6:52 million square kilm. Meteorologists say 6:55 that this level of heat is unprecedented 6:57 for this time of year. In Beijing, areas 6:59 have surface temperatures exceeding 60° 7:01 C with certain locations even reaching 7:04 nearly 70° at certain times. Historical 7:07 records show that during the reign of 7:08 Emperor Chenlong in theQing dynasty, 7:10 northern China experienced extreme heat 7:13 with Beijing reaching 44.4 degrees C. In 7:16 the summer of Chandlong's 8th year, more 7:18 than 10,000 people died from the heat in 7:20 just 12 days, making it one of the 7:22 hottest summers in Chinese history. On 7:25 the afternoon of July 8th, a video 7:26 posted by a Nison from Chongqing showed 7:28 an air conditioner's external unit 7:30 suddenly catching fire and emitting 7:32 thick smoke. During the summer heat, 7:34 many families run their air conditioners 7:35 on a 24-hour cycle. The machines and 7:38 electrical systems are overloaded, 7:39 leading to short circuits and other 7:41 dangerous problems. On July 15th, a 7:44 blogger from Chongqing mentioned, 7:47 "It's so hot here. I've been outside for 7:49 just 10 minutes, and I'm already 7:50 drenched in sweat. This is the second 7:52 outfit I've worn today. The air is so 7:54 hot. It's not just the temperature 40°, 7:56 but the humid heat. It's like being in a 7:58 sauna back in the northeast. Every 8:00 breath I take feels hot. This city 8:02 really lives up to the its nickname of 8:04 furnace city. I'm done. 8:07 In Shien, the temperature was so high 8:09 that the asphalt on the streets melted. 8:10 When the kickstand of an electric 8:12 bicycle was placed on the ground, it 8:13 sank right in. The outdoor temperature 8:15 reached 61.2°. 8:18 Starting from July 15th, Shien 8:20 experienced two consecutive days with 8:21 temperatures over 44° C, breaking 8:24 historical records. The intense heat 8:26 forced local residents to seek refuge in 8:28 the subway stations, which became 8:30 bustling with people trying to enjoy the 8:31 air conditioning. Subway stations became 8:34 a summer refuge for nearby residents. 8:36 Mr. Chong, an elderly man living in the 8:38 southern suburbs, shared, "Normally, I 8:40 would take a walk around the 8:41 neighborhood after dinner, but it's too 8:42 hot these days, so I'm hiding in the 8:44 subway to enjoy some free cool air." At 8:47 the subway station, people are making 8:48 themselves comfortable in different 8:50 ways. Some are sleeping on the floor. 8:52 Others are sitting on the stairs playing 8:54 games on their phones. And there are 8:55 older people chatting casually while 8:57 taking care of kids, completely ignoring 8:59 the passing commuters. This is 9:01 especially common near subway entrances 9:03 in densely populated residential areas 9:05 where more and more people are seeking 9:06 refuge from the heat. In Hjo, the 9:09 continuous high temperatures have caused 9:10 windows in multiple apartments to 9:12 shatter. On July 4th, a huge noise broke 9:15 the silence in a neighborhood in 9:16 northern Ho. Miss Tao, who lives on the 9:18 11th floor, was sitting on the sofa, 9:20 scrolling through her phone when the 9:22 entire living room shook. She said it 9:24 felt like the windows were hit by a 9:25 bomb. The shattered glass fell 9:27 everywhere. On social media, residents 9:29 from a local community started sharing 9:31 photos of cracked windows. With one 9:33 resident saying, "The property 9:34 management said, "We have to pay for 9:36 repairs after the warranty period." Mr. 9:38 Leo, a glass installer, mentioned, "In 9:40 the past 2 months, I've replaced more 9:42 than 60 windows, about one a day. That's 9:44 four times more than usual." 9:48 Hanjo is currently the hottest place in 9:50 China with temperatures reaching over 9:52 39°. The surface temperature is said to 9:55 be around 40°. A thermometer test 9:58 revealed that the temperature under 10:00 direct sunlight reached 74.7° 10:03 with white cars registering 65.5°, 10:06 gray cars 79.6°, 10:08 and black cars 89.4° nearing 90°. Darker 10:13 colored cars absorb more heat. Electric 10:15 bikes left outside were exposed to 10:17 temperatures of 83.4°. 10:19 Shared bikes, after being sunbaked, 10:21 become extremely hot to sit on. Many 10:23 shared bikes even have sun shields to 10:25 protect them, but these still reach 10:27 55.1°. 10:29 It's best to avoid sitting on sunheated 10:31 stone posts, which reached 60°. Even 10:34 bike handles can become dangerously hot. 10:36 After 2 hours of being parked outside, 10:38 one handle reached 59.7° and the seat 10:41 was 64.3°. 10:43 No wonder people complain about burning 10:45 seats. 10:46 The intense summer heat in Hjo has been 10:48 relentless, pushing temperatures close 10:50 to 40° for days. Air conditioning has 10:53 become essential, but with it comes a 10:55 significant increase in electricity 10:57 bills. Many workers can't afford the 10:59 rising costs and have had to return to 11:00 their hometowns. 11:05 We've had to go back home because it's 11:06 too hot to work anymore. Recently, 11:08 Hanjo's record-breaking heat has been 11:10 trending nationwide. People know that in 11:12 Haw many factory workers earn only 11:15 around 4,000 to 5,000 yen a month 11:17 without food or housing included. Rent 11:19 can be anywhere from 800 to several 11:21 thousand yen and electricity bills can 11:23 reach 1.5 yen per kilowatt hour. Water 11:26 costs 7 to 8 yen per ton. Many people 11:28 are unable to pay their water and 11:30 electricity bills because the summer 11:32 heat has electricity bills higher than 11:33 their rent. 11:35 Changa, known for its scorching heat, is 11:37 also experiencing a long hot summer this 11:39 year. Starting in July, the city entered 11:41 its hot, humid season, adding to the 11:43 discomfort of its residents. 11:48 Oh my goodness, it's so hot in Chong Sha 11:50 today. The temperature is over 30° C, 11:53 and I really can't handle it anymore. 11:55 I'm thinking about going to another 11:56 province to escape the heat. Can you 11:58 recommend any cooler places? I feel like 12:00 I'm about to spontaneously combust. In 12:03 Wuhan, the surface temperature reached a 12:05 staggering 81° C. The scorching heat is 12:08 hitting us hard. 12:12 Even at 7:30 p.m. in Wuhan, it's still 12:14 unbearably hot. In a video, a blogger 12:17 was seen wearing a DIY lotusle leaf 12:19 sunshade mask, and it quickly sparked a 12:22 lot of comments. Some joked that it 12:23 looked like the stem wasn't removed, 12:25 making her look like a mosquito. Others 12:27 pointed out that it wasn't that people 12:29 couldn't afford a sunshade mask, it was 12:31 just that the lotus leaf mask offered 12:32 more value for the price. This year's 12:34 high temperatures have been extreme. The 12:36 three northeastern provinces, Halong, 12:38 Jang, Jilin, and Lea Ning, are 12:40 experiencing a heat wave that hasn't 12:42 been seen in 55 years. Cities like 12:44 Harbin and Wuh have seen temperatures 12:47 break 35° C, with surface temperatures 12:50 reaching as high as 65°, and in some 12:52 cases, the perceived temperature has 12:54 exceeded 50°. 12:56 This heat wave is in stark contrast to 12:58 the region's traditional image as a cold 13:00 place, leading to a surge in demand for 13:02 air conditioners. In Halong Jang, air 13:04 conditioner sales have increased 13:06 sevenfold. This has caused significant 13:08 discomfort for both locals and tourists. 13:10 The combination of high heat and 13:12 humidity has led residents to say, "I've 13:14 lived long enough to see everything. 13:16 Especially considering that 3 months 13:17 ago, the area was covered in heavy 13:19 snow." Harbin resident Jang Lee said, 13:22 "The perceived temperature is almost 40° 13:24 C, and I'm sweating just by moving. This 13:27 summer in the Northeast is unusually hot 13:28 and humid." Students at universities in 13:31 the northeast have been hit hardest by 13:32 the heat. Many university dorms in 13:34 Harbin lack air conditioning. With the 13:37 high temperatures, students have been 13:38 constantly calling for air conditioning 13:40 on social media. Some students even 13:42 reported that people have suffered from 13:44 heat stroke due to the unbearable heat 13:45 in their dorms. Students have been 13:47 suggesting that air conditioners be 13:48 installed, but the school has simply 13:50 responded with, "We're hot, too." At the 13:52 moment, only a few classrooms and the 13:54 library are air conditioned. To cope 13:57 with the heat, many students have been 13:58 sharing tips online, such as setting up 14:00 camp in the dormatory hallways or taking 14:02 the bus just to enjoy the air 14:04 conditioning. One student mentioned that 14:06 because the dorms lose power at night, 14:07 even the fans don't work. As a result, 14:10 students have been laying mats on the 14:11 floors in the hallways, and some have 14:13 even set up tents in the dormatory 14:15 buildings. Meanwhile, hotel bookings 14:17 around universities have surged. A staff 14:19 member at a hotel near Harbin University 14:21 of Science and Technology said the rooms 14:23 are fully booked and most of the 14:24 reservations are made by students. They 14:26 emphasized that all rooms have fully 14:28 functioning air conditioning. This rush 14:30 for off-campus hotel rooms has caused 14:32 prices to skyrocket with some hotels 14:35 charging up to 300 yen per night and 14:37 even then rooms are still fully booked. 14:39 Due to the economic pressure, some 14:41 students have had to give up on staying 14:42 in hotels leaving them with no place to 14:44 go in the extreme heat. This heat wave 14:47 has exposed the serious lag in climate 14:49 adaptive infrastructures at universities 14:50 in northeast China. Halong Jang 14:52 University of Eastern Science responded 14:54 by saying that the dorm's electrical 14:56 systems are outdated and unable to 14:58 support large-scale air conditioner 15:00 usage. They stated that improvements are 15:02 difficult to implement in the short 15:03 term. The temporary measures proposed by 15:05 the university such as providing ice, 15:07 batterypowered fans, and extending 15:09 library hours have been criticized as 15:11 half-hearted solutions. University's 15:13 response to this heat wave has revealed 15:15 a significant gap in climate resilience 15:17 infrastructure, highlighting a weakness 15:19 in China's approach to adapting to 15:21 extreme weather. 15:23 [Music]