BEIJING, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The relentless summer heat baking China pushed temperatures above 104 degrees F in more than 40 cities and has been blamed for at least 10 heat-related deaths.
The China Meteorological Administration has ordered a "Level 2" emergency response to the dangerous heat that has been particularly harsh in the southern and central provinces, NBC News reported Friday.
A Level 2 emergency order typically is reserved for emergencies such as typhoons or severe flooding.
The meteorological administration also called on government workers to provide increased support for the elderly and small children who are more susceptible to heatstroke and exhaustion, as well as provide regular weather updates on state media.
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The cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou have seen the highest recorded temperature to date of 105.8 degrees F. Shanghai officials said daytime temps have been above 100 degrees F for more than nine days, cooling off only into the upper 80s at night.
Some Chinese in heat-stricken areas have been cooking shrimp and other food in skillets placed on manhole covers or road pavement.
Local drought relief workers said the heat wave has exacerbated a prolonged drought by drying up hundreds of lakes and rivers along the Yangtze River, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
Figures released by the Hubei Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Friday indicated 900 reservoirs and 132 rivers have been affected by drought, causing a third of the province's farmland to parch.
The unrelenting heat has been catastrophic to local agriculture in the 19 provinces and regions, most notably Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan, NBC News said.
State meteorologists said cooler temperatures should arrive on or around Aug. 10.
