Beijing issues weather warning for hottest days of year

Officials encouraged people to limit outdoor activity and drink more fluids to avoid heatstroke. -- PHOTO: AFP

BEIJING (AFP): Beijing residents sought shade and cooled off in canals on Monday as authorities issued the second-highest heat warning for the Chinese capital on one of its hottest days of the year so far.

China has endured a string of extreme summers in recent years, with heatwaves baking northern regions even as parts of the south have seen catastrophic rain and flooding.