Tens of thousands descend on China’s packed beaches and swimming pools to soak up the sun amid scorching heatwave
The country is in the grip of a blistering heatwave that saw the mercury hit 40C at the weekend
TENS of thousands of people have flocked to China's overcrowded pools and beaches after the mercury hit 40C at the weekend.
The heatwave has seen the country's busy beaches pushed to breaking point as the masses search for respite from the blazing hot weather.
Authorities have also issued weather alerts warning locals - and particularly the elderly - to avoid outdoor activity, local media reported.
Its meteorological centre said the young, old and ill should avoid all outdoor activity around noon.
related stories
The centre also warned local authorities to take precautions against fires that may be triggered by excessive power loads caused by air conditioner use.
Photographs showed the chaotic and crowded scenes which unfolded in Dalian, in the country's east, yesterday.
Remarkably, even animals are showing signs of overheating and exhaustion.
A herd of water buffalo were photographed dragging themselves into mud pools in China in a bid to cool themselves off.
The large beasts looked almost camouflaged after covering themselves from head to toe.
Meanwhile, hundreds of passengers were trapped in sweltering carriages after a high-speed train became stranded without water or electricity.
The travellers were unable to open the carriage doors, reports said, and they baked in the carriages under the mid-day sun.
Their situation was worsened after the train’s air-conditioning system stopped working due to the power outage.
According to reports, it was not until 2pm - around two hours after they had broken down - that the train was operational once more, taking the travellers to their destination.
According to officials at China Railway High-speed, the malfunction was caused by the collapse of a 220 kilovolt cable on the tracks.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.