The unusually hot and humid weather continued yesterday in Beijing with locals having a hard time dealing with the oppressive heat.

People felt like they were walking in a sauna whilst outside, even though the weather forecast said that the highest temperature was 32 C yesterday, much lower than the highest that has been recorded this summer.

At the Tianhua Shizheng construction site in southeastern Beijing, overseers have been issuing heatstroke preventive medicine to workers.

Despite this, the unbearable heat still managed to fell several workers at the site, among those was 36-year-old warehouse keeper Li Heng.

"The heat made me feel sick and gave me a headache on Saturday," said Li, who afterwards took a rest and some more medicine, but still felt worn-out.

"If there's a scorching sun, I can easily take shelter in the warehouse," he said.

"But given the unbearable humidity, I just couldn't stop sweating," Li said.

He added that all he could do was to drink more water and hope that there is a break in the weather soon.

Experts from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said the high humidity and high temperatures are a result of a subtropical high-pressure front over the city.

"A lot of water vapor, which comes from the sea, is hanging around in the sky of Beijing. It evaporates slowly due to lack of wind and the more it rains, the wetter the air becomes," experts explained.

The hot and wet weather, which started last Monday, reached its peak on Thursday.

The city will be relieved from the hot spell after rain, triggered by the meeting of warm and cold currents starting midnight last night and until noon today, experts said at time of going to press.

Because of the continuous humid and hot weather, hospitals have seen an increase in admission recently.

According to Huang Daikun, Outpatient Department director of the Peking University People's Hospital, the number of those seeking treatment for heart problems, fever, and diarrhoea has been on the rise since last week.

"The oppressive weather is surely to blame," Huang said, adding that senior citizens are most vulnerable to the unforgiving weather.

Her emergency treatment ward was crowded with patients yesterday.

"I've experienced hot weather before, but it is the first time that I've seen such a combination of hot and wet weather," said Guo Jianli, 34, a newspaper vendor from Chaoyang District.

"It is annoying that all my clothes and hair are soaked in sweat," Guo complained, fanning herself with a folded newspaper.

"We saw a lot of sweltering heat and lingering humidity last year but nowhere near as persistent as this time," she recalled,

"Fewer people come to buy newspapers lately. They want to stay indoors with air-conditioning," she said.

Wang Qichang, 53, a worker from the Chemical Industry Press, was better prepared for the heat.

While waiting for the unit's commuting vehicle, Wang held a big paper fan and had a white towel draped over his neck to soak up the sweat.

Despite his cooling down measures, Wang still felt uncomfortable, "It is too hot and I just keep sweating."

Tourists from coastal areas in the south, where such weather is commonplace, did not expect similar weather in Beijing, a northern city.

"Beijing is supposed to be a dry place in my mind," said Zheng Jinfeng, 20, a sophomore of Jimei University in Xiamen of east China's Fujian Province, who came to Beijing one week ago on a tour.

"I planned to visit the Summer Palace today but cancelled the trip because of the unbearable weather," she said.

Speaking of the annoying periodic rains, Zheng hoped that there would be a downpour so that the air would be fresher and cleaner.

Animals at Beijing Zoo have also been having a hard time of it lately, with zookeepers trying to figure out ways to keep them cool.

In the giant panda enclosure, workers were spraying water yesterday to help them cool down.

"I usually spray water three times a day in the summer," a keeper said.

"But recently I've been spraying water four to five times a day and am constantly monitoring their conditions," he added.

In contrast to the discomfort and ill effects that the sauna-like weather has imposed on the city, business at swimming pools is booming.

Air-conditioners, fans and bamboo mats are also selling well, according to local media reports.

(China Daily August 16, 2005)