As temperatures soared past 40°C in late July, Chongqing residents sought relief in subway stations, rivers, and bomb shelters, prompting a red alert amid record-breaking heat.

Temperatures above 40°C (104°F) have scorched Chongqing, the southwestern Chinese city famed for its spicy hotpot and neon-lit skyline, prompting residents to find creative ways to stay cool.

“It’s just getting hotter,” said 60-year-old Liu Fengying, who spent the afternoon playing cards and sharing snacks with around 100 retirees inside a cool, air-conditioned subway entrance.

“There’s no better way to escape the heat. Even with the AC set to 17°C last night, it was still unbearable,” she added.

The extreme heat gripping China has pushed electricity demand to record highs, surpassing 1.5 billion kilowatts, with July alone seeing four new records set.

Chongqing raised its heat alert to the highest red level on Thursday after a full week of 40°C-plus days. Forecasters say 21 of the city's 38 districts could see temperatures reach 43°C, with 44°C expected on Sunday.

Normally, the city of nearly 32 million rarely experiences July temperatures above 39°C – already considered extreme by global standards. This year, the number of days above 35°C since May has been twice the usual average.

Still, many locals are taking it in stride.

Xie, a 79-year-old resident, was among a group of swimmers cooling off in a Yangtze River tributary at sunset.

“Chongqing has always been one of China’s furnace cities, but we have the river,” he said before diving in.

Elsewhere, 36-year-old Qiu Xianhui and his friends braved the heat for a hotpot dinner in a former bomb shelter-turned-restaurant, where the underground air stays naturally cool.

“We’re used to temperatures above 40°C. This is nothing new for us,” he said.

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