Pandemic not only issue in China as heatwaves in dozens of Chinese cities buckle roads and pop roof tiles

By 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Tuesday, 86 cities in China had issued red alerts, the highest in a three-tier warning system, warning of temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in the next 24 hours. Construction and other outdoor work are to be halted. - Photo by Xinhua

BEIJING, July 12 (Reuters): China's commercial capital of Shanghai and dozens of other Chinese cities baked in scorching temperatures as unusually hot weather buckled roads, popped roof tiles and drove people to seek the cool in raid shelters underground.

By 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Tuesday, 86 cities had issued red alerts, the highest in a three-tier warning system, warning of temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in the next 24 hours. Construction and other outdoor work are to be halted.