China's new top 10 "Furnace Cities"

Forecasters in China are predicting a heat wave in the next few days, with temperatures expected to hit 40 Celsius in some places.  

Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing and Nanchang are traditionally regarded as China's 4 hottest conurbations. But is that true? A new list of "Furnace Cities," released by the National Climate Center (NCC), has thrown up some surprises, reports the Changjiang Daily.

Nanning, Hefei, Nanjing and Xi'an have made a surprising appearance on the list, with Wuhan relegated to 6th place.

A motorcyclist rides with a sunshade on a hot day in Fuzhou, Fujian province. [File Photo: IC]

Here come the new 10 "Furnace Cities" (provincial capitals or municipalities) compiled by NCC:

1.Chongqing

2.Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province

3.Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province

4.Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province

5.Changsha, capital of Hunan Province

6.Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province

7.Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province

8.Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province

9.Hefei, capital of Anhui Province

10.Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Wuhan's slide down the nationwide Furnace City ranking is seen as an achievement for ecological conservation efforts in recent years, according to Liu Huosheng, a local meteorological official.

Looking at the country's climate change data from the past decade, cities along the Yangtze River have reported slower rising temperatures compared to other places, while northern areas have seen a relatively fast hotting-up, Liu added.