China's electricity load exceeds 1.5 billion kilowatts on Wednesday, breaking record
This is the third "record high" in terms of electricity load the country has seen so far this month after peaks on July 4 and 7, the NEA said. Records have also been broken 36 times at the provincial level since the start of the summer.
Sweltering heat topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) has been roasting China's heartland in recent days, with cities in the central province of Hubei and the northwestern province of Shaanxi experiencing 42C, setting local records and stretching the country's power grid.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning to Brits over an influx of angry WASPS: Pest control expert warns insects are stinging more than usual amid the hot weather
The UK is in the midst of one of its hottest summers on record, with multiple heatwaves throughout June and July. Now, a pest control expert has revealed an unexpected side–effect of this balmy weather. Laurence Edwards, a leading beekeeper and entomologist, has warned that wasps are attacking far earlier than normal this year. Usually, wasps are most aggressive in the late–autumn. However, this year's hot spring and summer have created perfect nesting conditions, and colonies have 'exploded' in size far earlier than normal. Mr Edwards called this a 'perfect swarm' of environmental factors. 'It's a perfect swarm and it means that everyone should be on the lookout – both for their own safety and that of other insects, such as bees,' he explained. The wasp's sting is designed as a self–defence mechanism but, unlike bees, wasps can sting multiple times. Wasps have a bad reputation for being aggressive, but their behaviour actually fluctuates with the seasons. Usually, the queen wasps emerge from hibernation between late March and late April, before laying their first eggs in May. Her offspring will be new drones and worker wasps, who become most active in June and July. But by August and September, wasps begin to turn a little more nasty. The queen wasps will be leaving the nest to find new hibernation spots, leaving the workers without a nest. As they become more desperate, the wasps begin to roam – and sting people more. The aggression usually continues through until early October, while the arrival of cold weather generally triggers the end of the cycle for all but the queens. However, a lot depends on the weather. As spring serves as the trigger for insects to become more active, the early hot weather this year meant that the wasps hit their peak prematurely this year. So, instead of the wasps turning nasty in August and September, they're already getting more aggressive. Wasps tend to sting when they become angry or scared. As anyone who has experienced one will know, their stings can be painful – but thankfully most people recover quickly and without complications. 'There's a lot you can do to mitigate the risk of wasp attacks, saving yourself from painful stings and ensuring wasps don't attack, or even destroy, any nearby bee colonies,' Mr Edwards reassured. The expert, who runs Black Mountain Honey, recommends growing wasp–repelling plants such as mint, eucalyptus, lemongrass or thyme. In addition, he encourages you to keep natural predators in your garden, such as birds and spiders. Meanwhile, it's best to cover food and compost, as these will only attract wasps. 'Keep bins tightly sealed. Rinse out recyclables,' Mr Edwards added. 'Don't leave scraps, pet food, or ripe fruit exposed.' If you are stung, make sure you wash the area with soap and water, before applying a cold compress for 10–20 minutes. You can also take paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce pain and swelling. WHY DO WASPS STING AND WHY DO THEY HURT SO MUCH? Wasp stings are common, especially during the warmer months when people are outside for longer periods of time. They tend to occur in the later summer months when the social structure of the colony is breaking down. At this time, the group mindset is changing from raising worker wasps to raising fertile queens, which will hibernate over the winter to start new colonies the following spring. Once the wasp has laid eggs, she stops producing a specific hormone which keeps the colony organised. This leads to the wasps becoming confused and disorientated and they tend to stray towards sweet smelling human foods, such as ice cream and jam. This puts them in the firing line of scared and frenzied people which aggravate the animals with wafting hands and swatting magazines. When the critters become angry and scared they are prone to stinging. Wasp stings can be uncomfortable, but most people recover quickly and without complications. It is designed as a self-defence mechanism but, unlike bees, wasps can sting multiple times. The stingers remain in tact and are often primed with venom which enters the bloodstream. Peptides and enzymes in the venom break down cell membranes, spilling cellular contents into the blood stream This can happen to nerve cells and these are connected to the central nervous system. This breach causes the injured cell to send signals back to the brain. We experience these signals in the form of pain. There are chemicals in the wasp sting which slows the flow of blood, which elongates the period of pain.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia's far east starts erupting after earthquake, RIA reports
MOSCOW, July 30 (Reuters) - The Klyuchevskoy volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's far east has started erupting after Wednesday's powerful earthquake in the Pacific, Russian state news agency RIA reported.
Reuters
5 hours ago
- Reuters
Portugal, Spain fight wave of wildfires
EL ARENAL, Spain/AROUCA, Portugal, July 30 (Reuters) - Thousands of firefighters struggled to put out a dozen wildfires raging in northern Portugal and central Spain through the night and into Wednesday, in the largest wave of blazes in the Iberian Peninsula so far this year after weeks of summer heat. The largest wildfire has been burning in the wooded, mountainous Arouca area - some 300 km (185 miles) north of Lisbon - since Monday, leading to the closure of the scenic trails of Passadicos do Paiva, a popular tourist attraction. Some 800 firefighters and seven waterbombing aircraft tackled the blaze. "There was a huge effort during the night, so now we have a somewhat calmer situation," Civil Protection Commander Helder Silva told reporters, cautioning that shifting strong winds and a difficult terrain meant their work was far from over. "It's a very large wildfire in areas with difficult access," he said. Further north, a blaze has been raging since Saturday in the Peneda-Geres national park near the Spanish border, enveloping nearby villages in thick smoke that led to orders for residents to stay at home. Portuguese firefighters managed to control two large fires that started on Monday in the central areas of Penamacor and Nisa. Authorities said the Penamacor blaze had destroyed 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest. In Spain's central province of Avila, shifting gusts of wind hindered efforts by firefighters and a special military unit, emergency services said. Residents in the village of El Arenal, about 100 km (62 miles) west of Madrid, were advised to remain indoors due to heavy smoke. In Mombeltran near Avila, farmer Blas Rodriguez fought back tears as he walked among scorched trees, his olive grove devastated by the fire. "This land belongs to my father. It burnt 16 years ago but the olive trees were spared from the fire... this time there is no way to save them, everything is completely burnt," he told Reuters. In the western province of Caceres, the fire has affected 2,500 hectares, prompting evacuations from homes scattered across the Caminomorisco area, authorities said. Hot and dry summers are common across the region, but more intense heatwaves have contributed to destructive wildfires in recent years amid fast-rising temperatures around the globe. Portugal and Spain had the hottest June on record.
