Soaring temperatures trigger red alerts in 68 Chinese cities as roofs melt and roads buckle

Dozens of Chinese cities are facing scorching temperatures amid heatwaves hot enough to melt roofs of buildings and buckle roads. On July 12, 2022, 68 cities issued red alerts, the highest level in China’s three-tier heatwave warning system. With temperatures expected to rise above 40°C (104°F), Shanghai’s 25 million residents were warned to prepare for the hot weather. In the southwest city of Chongqing, the roof tiles on a museum building melted. Nanjing opened underground air-raid shelters for the public to stay cool. China is facing a summer of contrasts across its fast territory, with heavy rainfall and floods hitting large parts of the country’s north and southwest.