Northern China encounters highest registered temperatures in years

Swathes of northern China sweltered in 40-degree heat on June 22, weather data showed, as parts of Beijing and the nearby megacity of Tianjin recorded their highest temperatures for years.

Scientists say rising global temperatures -- caused largely by burning fossil fuels -- are aggravating extreme weather worldwide, and many countries in Asia have experienced deadly heatwaves and record temperatures in recent weeks, The Peninsula reports.

A weather station in Tanghekou in northern Beijing logged 41.8 degrees Celsius early on the afternoon of June 22, making it the hottest place in the country, according to local state-backed media outlet Beijing News.

Another station in the south of the city chalked up its first 40-degree day in nearly a decade, while highs of 40.6 C represented the hottest June day ever recorded in Tianjin's Xiqing district.

In Tianjin, where an orange alert was also in place, officials said the "general public [should] remain aware and take precautions" against heat-induced strokes.

Last week, Beijing recorded its highest temperature for mid-June, with weather officials warning the public to stay indoors as the mercury hit 39.4 C.