Surviving the 40 deg C summer in one of China's 'furnace cities'

The intense heat and humidity in this municipality in south-western China is unlike anything the writer has experienced, despite growing up in sunny Singapore.

- Aw Cheng Wei

CHONGQING - As summer deepens with temperatures expected to soar above 40 deg C on consecutive days in Chongqing, I have filled the foyer in my apartment with gadgets and stuff I can use to stay cool if I have to step outdoors.

What used to be an empty wall is now adorned with pegboards holding a cap, an ultraviolet protection jacket, UV-blocking umbrellas, sunscreen and bug spray, in addition to a cubbyhole filled with sunglasses, cooling body wipes and the latest portable fans — the kind that promises to generate cold air.

I have added a mirror to that corner so I can apply sunblock evenly before I head out. In all my 36 years, mostly spent living in sunny Singapore, I have never applied sunblock as diligently as I did over the past month.

That's not all. A neck cooling ring rests in my freezer while my bed is covered with sheets that are cooling to the touch.

I am only beginning to feel that I am ready for my first full summer in Chongqing, one of China's hottest cities. Recently, a friend showed me a jacket with in-built fans, and I wondered if I should get it. I moved to the municipality in south-west China for work during the tail-end of summer in September 2024 after spending the previous 3½ years in Beijing.

Situated in the Sichuan Basin and surrounded by mountains, Chongqing experiences high temperatures in summer as heat gets trapped in the basin amid strong sunlight. Humidity is also high due to the evaporation from the Yangtze River on warm days, creating what is known among locals as the "sauna effect".

A spokesman for Chongqing Meteorological Service explained to me that it may feel hotter here than temperatures indicate, because the heat is often accompanied by high humidity and low wind speeds.

"The moisture content in the air is high, making it difficult for sweat to evaporate, which in turn hinders the body's ability to release heat," he added.