Beijing records earliest 30 C since 1959

Beijing recorded its earliest 30 C since 1959, as the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) confirmed on Sunday that the daytime temperature in Beijing's Haidian district was 30 C on Saturday.

According to CMA, the temperature at Nanjiao Observatory in the capital city's Daxing district, surged to 28.9 C on Saturday afternoon, marking the fourth consecutive day of setting a new high for the year. At 3.16 pm, the temperature at the Haidian Observatory reached 30 C.

The temperature measured at the Nanjiao Observatory broke the historical record for extreme high temperatures in late March, and the previous extreme high temperature for late March at the observatory was 28.8 C recorded on March 31, 2002, the Beijing Daily reported.

The unusually warm weather in North China continues, and currently, insects and reptiles commonly seen in summer such as grasshoppers and mountain lizards, are appearing in large numbers in the southwestern mountainous areas of Beijing, said Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Ma told the Global Times on Sunday that lately, most parts of the country have been under the control of a warm high-pressure ridge. "The region of North China has continued to experience widespread sunny weather, with excellent air quality and strong sunlight, which has driven up temperatures. At the same time, the northwest winds in the afternoon bring downwarming, causing temperatures to rise even more rapidly," Ma said.

According to CMA, apart from Beijing, many regions across China are experiencing a fast-paced and prolonged warming, with current temperatures across the country being noticeably higher than usual. The northern regions are likely to see record-breaking highs from Saturday to Tuesday, while the southern regions will experience the heat later, on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Despite the highest temperature in Beijing on Sunday have reached 26 C at the beginning of next week, the city will still experience more strong winds, with temperature fluctuations and the lowest temperatures returning to single digits, CMA said.

The Beijing Meteorological Observatory's chief forecaster Zhao Wei said that the highest temperature is expected to drop to 12 C on Friday, with the minimum temperature dropping as low as 3 C, per the Beijing Daily. 

Zhao said that after experiencing the "rollercoaster" temperature fluctuation, the temperatures in Beijing will not rise again until the end of March with the highest temperature surpassing 20 C at around April 4.