Mainland Chinese were shocked to see snow falling from the sky in Ningbo, a coastal city in Zhejiang Province, in the afternoon of July 30. The snow lasted for only 10 minutes, and was then followed by short lived lightning and hail. But the Internet was quickly filled with commentary on the rapid switch between heat wave and snow.
At one point during the day, a People’s Daily reporter in Shanghai placed a piece of bacon on a frying pan and left it outside – within 80 minutes, according to pictures posted online, it had been cooked. The temperature on the thermometer read 67 degrees celsius.
vikiMiWei commented: “It was a 45 degrees celsius (113 Fahrenheit) hot day just now. Now it’s hailing. Ningbo people are having a sauna and hiding from hail and lightning.”
Many Chinese also wondered whether that snow out of the blue like that was some kind of portent. “Falling snow in July is against nature. There must be an injustice somewhere!” commented Duanmuyu. Shengdiya1 also said: “The end of the world!! Ningbo is snowing?”
By July 29, 43 cities in China, and about a third of the country, were experiencing heat over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The China Meteorological Administration declared a level two emergency heat wave on July 30; at least 10 people have died from heat stroke in Shanghai this summer, according to state media China.com.
As well as bacon, some Chinese, using only the natural heat, have successfully cooked fish and eggs.
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