Anne Zhang

    zhangy49@gmail.com

    A MOBILE weather app developed by Shenzhen Meteorological Bureau has been downloaded 2.8 million times and is among the most popular weather apps in Apple’s app store.

    My City Weather (我的都市天气) can forecast local weather and provide personalized meteorological services, said Dr. Chen Xunlai with the bureau.

    Using GPS, the app automatically detects the user’s location, matches it to the nearest of the city’s 100-plus weather stations and offers up-to-date weather information that includes temperature, humidity, rainfall and atmospheric pressure, on both daily and hourly bases.

    “The shape of Shenzhen is wide from west to east and narrow from north to south, so local weather varies enormously,” Chen said. “The app gives detailed weather information in different parts of the city.”

    One of the app’s users, who gave the name Edith, called it “a walking observatory.” For example, she said, a radar image shows the dynamics of rainfall in Guangdong, which is detected by 30 radars and updated every six minutes.

    Two-thirds of the city’s 100-plus weather stations recorded high temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius on Sunday, with the highest recording at 37.9 degrees Celsius. But yesterday’s heavy rains cooled off the city.

    The meteorological bureau sent out a rainstorm yellow alert in Futian District, Luohu District, Yantian District, Longhua New Area and Longgang District’s Henggang, Buji, Bantian, Nanwan and Pinghu subdistricts at around noon yesterday.

    However, the bureau said the hot weather will continue over the next two days.

    People are prone to heatstroke, respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal disorders on sweltering hot days, according to local doctors. They suggested that people should drink enough water, eat fresh food, vegetables and fruit and exercise to perspire more, but should avoid outdoor activities at noon.

    Homeless people or people in need can be sheltered from summer heat in the city’s relief management stations in Luohu, Longgang and Bao’an districts, where free food and lodging are provided.