SHENZHEN Meteorological Bureau said yesterday that the weather will be unpredictable for the next two days, with a mix of high temperatures and occasional showers, and that one or two typhoons will strike Shenzhen in August and bring stormy weather.

Burning hot weather also heightens aggression in venomous species of snakes. Since the beginning of July, the Shenzhen Emergency Center hotline 120 has received seven calls requesting emergency response to incidents of snake bites.

It is said that snakes are active each year in summer and autumn from May to October, especially at sunset and early morning. The Shenzhen Emergency Center reminds citizens to avoid parks at the aforementioned times, since snakes prefer to rest in vegetation-covered areas such as dense, grassy lawns in parks, houses near mountains and green belts alongside roads.

Some tips for avoiding snake bites are to protect your skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers, high-top shoes, trousers with tight legs, and to wear a hat in forests.

Additionally, the Shenzhen Emergency Center reminds citizens that when a snake bite occurs, check immediately for swelling, excessive bleeding or necrotic tissue around the wound. If a snake bite occurs, everybody on site should leave as quickly as possible;the wound should be banadged, kept below heart-level, and the victim should be rushed to a hospital. (Chen Siqi)