Hot weather has been given the cold shoulder in Beijing after a cool air flow from the northeast hit the capital on Monday evening.

Temperatures have plunged by at least 10 degrees, giving welcome respite from the dog days which dogged the city until the weekend.

On Monday, citizens were switching on their air conditioners after temperatures surged to 35 degrees centigrade - the highest at this time of the year since 1961.

Experts from China Central Meterological Observatory said the cool weather is expected to last until Thursday, when temperatures in the city will gradually rise again.

The highest temperature in the city centre reached 23 degrees centigrade yesterday while the lowest temperature in outlying counties registered just 10 degrees centigrade.

Meterological experts said the decline in temperatures was the normal transition towards the cooler autumn weather.

Citizens were urged to take precautions against catching cold.

But the cool weather is localized in northern China. Residents in the South China city of Guangzhou are sweltering in 35 degrees centigrade temperatures.

( China Daily September 4, 2002)