CAI Xinghua, a middle aged man who lives in an old house along downtown Huaihai Lu, might be able to sleep in his small apartment once again when the mercury finally drops below 35 degrees centigrade on July 6.

Living in old houses with walls too fragile to support air-conditioners, Cai and many other residents in the block called Shangxianfang, have been staying outside in the evenings and nights since the weather became infernal late last month, remaining above 35 degrees for 11 consecutive days.

The broiling weather, reaching 39 degrees centigrade on July 3 ¡ª the highest in over 71 years ¡ª has been torturing many people such as Cai as well as those who have to go outside frequently in the daytime.

On July 2, the heat took the life of a truck driver who delivered products for a big electrical shopping mall in the Nanhui District. The driver, named Li Qingjun, aged 33, died after driving for about 10 hours on an especially hot day, when temperatures reached 38.3 degrees centigrade.

Local newspapers reported that heat stoke had become a common problem among workers exposed to the sunshine, such as cleaners, construction workers and drivers.

Several government departments have issued a notice requesting local employers to shorten working hours, change working schedules and take protective measures for outdoor employees when the temperature exceeds 35 degrees centigrade.

Once the temperature rises to the ¡°black alarm¡± level ¡ª over 38 degrees ¡ª outdoor work should stop except in those industries closely related to residents¡¯ daily lives, public transportation and security.

The city¡¯s Education Commission has instructed schools to cancel military drills for students when the temperature is over 35 degrees.

Stretched hospitals

The heat wave has kept local medical staff very busy, especially in emergency wards which have been crowded with patients. The incidence of heat stroke, cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases have risen significantly in the city, statistics from several major hospitals show.

Senior citizens are more vulnerable to heat waves, with patients arriving in hospitals suffering from heart diseases, asthma, cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infraction increasing by 50 per cent.

Patients suffering from colds, high fevers, diarrhoea and facial paralysis have also increased due to the improper use of air-conditioners and fans.

The Shanghai 120 Emergency Centre is sending out ambulances much more frequently than usual ¡ª about 600 times a day ¡ª and will have to add six more vans and arrange more staff.

Animal suffers

The problem is not just restricted to human beings.

An alpaca at the Shanghai Wild Life Park fainted on July 3 during a mid-day performance. It was immediately moved to a cooler place and recovered after a saline transfusion.

All the other alpacas have been moved to a larger, better ventilated field to protect the sluggish-looking animals from further suffering.

Elephant, panda and rhinoceros enclosures have been equipped with air-conditioners and electric fans, the Asian elephants have their own shower system and small animals have stopped seeing tourists in the afternoon to avoid being afflicted by the hot weather.

Furthermore, animal keepers have been ordered to add herbal medicines to their animals¡¯ food and water to build up their resistance to the heat. The zoo kitchen is serving the animals 15 tons of ice every day, according to the Oriental Morning Post

The park has also decided to cancel some of its animal performances when the mercury rises above 35 degrees.

Worrying that pets might be harmed by the heat, local people are taking their dogs and cats to pet beauty salons.

A man surnamed Xu, attending a pet shop called Little Elf near People¡¯s Square in the morning of July 3, found five other pets were queuing there already.

Public open places like parks have seen a sharp decrease in visitor numbers, but cool places such as swimming pools, skating rinks and skiing slopes have been prospering.

Changfeng Park in the Putuo District has seen the number of morning visitors drop from more than 20,000 to about 1,000. ¡°Our ski field has received about 2,000 customers everyday since July, almost double the usual level. Most are students on vacation but the heat wave has also contributed to the increase,¡± said an employee at an indoor skiing spot.

Electric sales

Cooling facilities like air-conditioners, fans and refrigerators have also sold well. Guomei Electrical Shop in Laoximen sells 300 air-conditioners every day, an increase of nearly 30 per cent over the same period of last year.

Taxi drivers have also seen their business boom, although passengers may complain about the difficulty of finding a taxi. Statistics from the city¡¯s four major taxi companies show that the average vacant taxi rate has hit lows of about 10 per cent. In rush hours, the rate almost reaches zero. Shanghai Qiangsheng Taxi Company has put 8,000 additional taxies into business this summer, receiving around 12,000 booking calls everyday, 20 per cent above normal. However, only 60 per cent of booking requests can be met due to the hectic schedule of taxis drivers.

A rainstorm on July 6 reduced temperatures a little, and frequent rain ¡ª even hailstones ¡ª are forecast over the next few days, but the weather will continue to be sweltering.