Shanghai dims lighting displays to save power

Shanghai has ordered landscape illumination for its landmark areas including the Bund, North Bund and the Lujiazui financial area across the Huangpu River to be switched off on Monday and Tuesday, as the area battles a power crunch triggered by record high temperatures, according to an official announcement.

According to the announcement, issued by the city's landscaping and city appearance administrative bureau on Sunday, the city might step up measures such as dimming outdoor advertisements, building signs and restricting use of power by outdoor construction projects during peak hours, if the power crunch exacerbates.

Shanghai, home to around 25 million people, is experiencing its hottest summer since 1961, registering a record 6 days with the highest temperatures exceeding 40 C. Sunday marked the city's 47th day this summer when thermometers soared over 35 C.

The searing heat has also smothered many parts of the country, especially the Sichuan Basin and regions in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, fueling massive demand for air conditioning and drying up reservoirs in regions reliant mostly on dams for electricity.

The drought induced by the persistent heat has reduced the water flow on the main trunk of the Yangtze River to less than half of the average over the last five years.

Earlier this week, Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and Chongqing have adopted similar measures to save energy.

The China Meteorological Administration said earlier the country was going through its longest period of sustained high temperatures since record-keeping began in 1961.