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Beijing is the city of wind, which blows almost every other day to help drive some of the pollution from the air. But with the Olympics just a few days away, the wind has been in abeyance, replaced by a sizzling heat wave which the Chinese call ¡°sauna weather.¡± Dry summers are the norm in Beijing, not humid ones. These days, afternoon highs top 35 degrees Celsius with a 80-90 percent humidity. The heat is wearing out the 500,000 Olympic volunteers. Having to stand outdoors for 10 hours a day, they are often seen taking turns for a quick nap.
¡ß Pollution
In this weather, the Chinese authorities are most worried about air pollution, which has grown steadily worse in recent days. For four straight days until Monday, the Beijing smog reduced visibility to only a few hundred meters.
Beijing's air pollution index (API) had fallen to below the target 100 for four days since a rule came into force on July 20 compelling people to leave their cars at home every other day. But the index climbed to 110-120 between July 24 and 27, only dropping to 96 on Monday. Experts say if API is over 100, people sensitive to pollution can experience shortage of breath.
Countries participating in the Olympics have prepared their own measures. The U.S., U.K., Japan and Korea have provided pollution masks to athletes, while Australian track and field players are prohibited from attending the opening ceremony.
¡ß All cars to a halt?
In 1993, China lost its bid for the 2000 Olympic games to Sydney due to the pollution concerns. Now it is again on alert. The state-run China Daily says officials have prepared three-stage measures -- an entry ban on cargo trucks into the city from July 1, the driving restriction from July 20 and an air cleaning squad, which is on standby to produce artificial rain. Precipitation 40 percent higher in June and July than normal is due to the ¡°seeding¡± of clouds with thousands of water missiles. Some speculate the sudden downpour Tuesday morning that cleared the Beijing sky may have also been artificially induced.
Chinese authorities are confident that the humid heatwave will taper off after Aug. 7 which is the seasonal Liqiu (or Ipchu in Korean, the 13th solar term of the lunar calendar meaning "beginning autumn") and that air pollution won't affect athletes. But foreign teams are not yet convinced.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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