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Heat wave sends hundreds to hospitals in China

By DANIELLE HAYNES, UPI.com
A Chinese man sleeps in the shade behind his vehicle as temperatures soar in Beijing on July 3, 2013. A steamy heat wave with high temperatures of 100+ degrees continue to grip a wide area of central China in an unusually hot start to summer. UPI/Stephen Shaver
A Chinese man sleeps in the shade behind his vehicle as temperatures soar in Beijing on July 3, 2013. A steamy heat wave with high temperatures of 100+ degrees continue to grip a wide area of central China in an unusually hot start to summer. UPI/Stephen Shaver | License Photo

Ambulance calls surged to about 6,000 times their average rate since Monday in Beijing as a heat wave sent hundreds of people to the hospital with heat-related illness in China.

Temperatures soared to 104 degrees in parts of China Wednesday with an average temperature in the capital city reaching about 97 degrees, China Daily reported.

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"The heat wave is expected to move toward the south, with rainfall coming around Friday in the north, cooling down the hot weather," said He Lifu, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center. "Children, the elderly and the infirm are advised to stay indoors due to the soaring temperatures."

Guan Na, of the Beijing Emergency Medical Center there were 23 percent more heat-related illnesses in the first three days of July compared to early June.

Guan suggested suggested people avoid long exposure to high temperatures and stay in an air conditioned area to prevent illness.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau issued a yellow alert Wednesday indicating temperatures would reach above 95 degrees for the third day in a row.

"Wednesday's highest temperature is between 36 and 37 C, slightly lower than Tuesday, but the city won't see any rainfall until Friday and over the weekend," said Fu Yi, a chief service officer with the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

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Li Minghua, a doctor at Shanghai Medical Emergency Center said the city's 240 ambulances will be dispatched more than 1,000 times a day during high-heat days.

"It's higher at peak times," Li said. "An ambulance doctor will be sent out at least 12 times during a 12-hour shift.

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