I have been to Beijing in mid Aug and frankly, the weather is much hotter than reported. Walking 100m on the street at 10pm night can make you sweat profusely. Singapore is known to be humid and hot but I am still uncomfortable with the heat in Beijing. I believe the temperature is around 35 degree C.Later, I understand from friends that the Chinese government must declare public holiday if the temperature of the day is found to be above 40 degree C. That explains why the official temperature in Beijing never go beyond 39 degree C.
So how will it affect the Beijing Olympics?
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On 9 Aug 2006, China Daily's Bright day forecast for Beijing Olympics reported:
"The possibility of rain on August 8, 2008, is between 30 and 40 per cent. If it does rain, it will most likely be only a drizzle," said Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).
The prediction is based on weather data from the last 50 August 8s, Jiang told a news conference marking the two-year countdown.
In Beijing's bidding report, the Games' opening date was originally scheduled for the latter half of July, but due to concerns over bad weather, the BOCOG put it off to August 8.
"Weather data shows that the climate in August will be suitable for the Games," said Jiang.
The Olympics will be held from August 8 to 24, while the Paralympic Games will be held from September 6 to 17.
On Beijing travelguide, we see that the forecast temperature is 20 to 31 (degree celsius) while the official Beijing guide suggested: The temperature in summer usually ranges from 28 - 39 degrees centigrade. Highest temperature ever recorded was 42 degrees centigrade.
It seems the travel guide is providing better forecast to lure tourists during this off-peak period.
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Recently, reports poured in suggesting weather may not be conducive for outdoor sports.
1) Suite101.com - Hot Summer Climate in Beijing
"This is especially true in August when the average high temperature is 85 F (30 C) and average morning humidity hovers at 90 percent."
2) The International News - Marathon champ fears Beijing Olympics heat more than pollution
"Summer temperatures in Beijing routinely surge past 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity stands at close to 80 percent."
3) Xinhuanews Chinanews.com - Top weatherman: Weather most challenging at Beijing Olympics
"The weather is the most challenging factor in Beijing's preparations for the Olympic Games, China's top weatherman Zheng Guoguang said on Thursday."
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To tackle this weather condition, the Chinese authority has experimented with success on cloud seeding method to induce rain, as reported by The Register.
It becomes a human vs nature duel and the outcome is still unknown. One thing for sure, someone is definitely going to faint (or die) due to heat stroke in view of the overwhelming response to attend Beijing 2008. One can never expect cloud-seeding to work 24 hours!
No weather forecast, no matter how accurate, can help them who are rushing into this Olympic FEVER.
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