In recent years, China's summers have been recording extreme temperatures that once seemed impossible for the country.
Last year was record-breaking; the capital, Beijing, broke its record for consecutive days over 35°C, hitting 27 days. Shanghai came close, averaging 34°C, but over a shorter period. It was a good call from the FIA to schedule the previous Chinese GP in early spring, when the temperature was mild.
However, it seemed they hadn't applied the same reasoning this time around. A summer Chinese GP, with heatwaves pushing the atmosphere close to 40°C, was torture.
Driven by dense urbanization and other anthropogenic factors, cities like Shanghai had especially seen their thermometers climb, their horizons shimmering. It had become the norm, but that didn't make the upshots any less unbearable.
The ongoing Grand Prix was unfolding under 37°C. And since it was a racing circuit, the situation was even more punishing.
