fortes.com

I don’t intend to write about the weather every week, but here is an explanation for the strange weather this summer:

Not only him, most people living here are also happily surprised by the weather this summer. Beijing summer is called “ Stove” by people. Entering July the temperature commonly reaches over 37 centigrade degree, even sometimes over 40 centigrade degree. But this summer the temperature keeps around 35 centigrade degree. More than that, almost every night after dinner time like 9pm or 10pm, there will be a rain. The next morning it will stop. It feels cool, moisture and air is fresh.

These are the artificial rains.

The duty of the government is not only to work out the plans to balance the overheating economy but also to finish a “ Blue Sky Index”, a mission called by the coming Olympics.

The 2008 Olympics drives Beijing for many things. No space for stadium, they demolish the Hutongs. The air is bad, they make rains. Especially after this spring, international press reported on Beijing’s bad sand storm, the public concern had been raised on Beijing’s weather. Will there be sand storm during 2008 Olympics? Can the international athletes stand the Beijing polluted air then?

Beijing has been reported as one of the top 10 polluted cities in the world for years, for the first time it seriously thinks of how to face the questions from international world. “Blue Sky Index” was started in 2002, the basic goal is to reach 230 blue sky days per year. In 2006, the task is promoted to 238 days.

The deputy director of Beijing Local Environment Ministry, Mr Du Shaozhong said this half year of 2006 only reached 107 blue sky days and there were 10 days less than the original index. He called it a tough situation to realize the 131 days in the following half year. It means to finish 21.8 days per month. Mr Du called: “ the God helps us, we human need to work hard… We’re not gonna give up the Blue Sky Index.”

I don’t think they’ve got all the kinks worked out yet, because there have been several days (like today) when there have been downpours during the day. Today was particularly bad in the morning, causing terrible rush hour traffic. Beijing’s abundance of concrete doesn’t make for good drainage either; aided by the high humidity, the water takes a long time to clear.

As for the Blue Sky Index, I’ve only seen 2 in my 16 days here — well, technically, it was one full day and two half days. It’s gonna be hard to make that quota.

Update 8/1: Well, it seems to have worked — today is a blue sky day!

Update: Of course, it was started pouring again before the end of the day, around rush hour for some reason.