Heatwaves in Chinese cities buckle roads, pop roof tiles

China's commercial capital of Shanghai was among dozens of cities baking in scorching temperatures as unusually hot weather buckled roads, popped roof tiles, and drove people to seek the cool in raid shelters underground, reports Reuters.
By 3 pm on Tuesday, 86 cities including Shanghai had issued red alerts, the highest in a three-tier warning system.
That level signifies forecast temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in the next 24 hours. Construction and other outdoor work are to be halted.
Shanghai, which is still fighting sporadic outbreaks of COVID-19, warned its population of 25 million to prepare for hot weather this week. Since record-keeping began in 1873, it has only had 15 days of temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
In a photograph shared on social media, a COVID health worker in a full-body hazmat suit hugged a one-metre (3-foot) tall block of ice by a road.
Staff at a sprawling 152-hectare (376-acre) Shanghai wildlife park use up eight tonnes of ice each day just to keep lions, pandas and other animals cool.
"This year, the heat has arrived a little earlier than before," said Shanghai resident Zhu Daren, as her five-year-old son played at a water fountain.
"Although it is just July, I feel the warm weather has already reached the high point.