It’s already hot, but Xinjiang will soon get hotter

The temperature of the ground surface in Turpan — China’s “heat pole” in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region — reached 83 C on Monday afternoon, the hottest so far this year.

Liu Qinglei, sales manager at Turpan Flame Mountain Scenic Area, said on Wednesday that the highest temperature is expected to be reached in July, the region’s hottest season, though 83 C is possible again on Thursday, when the air temperature is predicted to reach 43 C.

Turpan is known as China’s “heat pole”. The highest surface temperature in Turpan was 89 degrees, recorded on July 11 last year. But tourists’ passion has shown no sign of weakening. “Now there are 2,500 to 2,800 travelers visiting our scenic spot every day, and it’s estimated that more than 6,000 tourists will come to enjoy sightseeing here on a daily basis in July and August,” Liu said.

The visitor volume increases in those months because that’s the best time for viewing the area’s scenery.

Xinjiang’s Flame Mountain is well-known for its peculiar red surface and scorching environment.

“The hotter it is, the more beautiful the mountain is,” Liu said. “When the sun shines, the mountain will become red because of the richness of minerals, such as iron.”

The scenic spot’s temperature is measured by a huge thermometer, 12 meters tall and 65 centimeters wide. It’s set at the center of the scenic area and is a favorite place for tourists to take pictures. They can even cook eggs by putting them directly in the sunshine.

To guard tourists’ health, the scenic area’s medical office has heatstroke medicine at the ready, Liu said.

The city’s meteorological center issued an orange alert for high temperatures on Wednesday afternoon, warning that the city’s two areas were forecast for scorching weather in the next two days, with temperatures exceeding 40 C.