Cars in Shanghai catch fire due to high temperatures

Mr. Liu works at an air conditioner maintenance shop in Shanghai. As the city continues to bake during a record heat wave, Liu's shop gets dozens of calls a day.

"Air conditioners can get heat stroke, too. If it runs for a long time and the out door temperature is too high, the rubber coat of the wires can melt. That will put the circuit at risk of shorting out." said Mr. Liu.

High temperatures have also led to vehicles catching on fire. This surveillance camera footage shows that on Friday morning in Shanghai, a car burst into flames just a few minutes after being parked by the side of the road.

It took fire fighters 20 minutes to put out the blaze. Police say, there were three cases of car catching on fire in the city on that morning alone. The city has seen over 60 cases so far since May.

Local governments in south China are doing all they can to limit the impact of the heat wave. In Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, the government has installed water spraying taps on the walls at tourist spots. During summer, the taps spray water mists every 15 minutes, to cool down people who pass by.

According to weather forecasts, the heat wave hitting most parts of South China, is not likely to ease until mid August.