Skiing in the heat: Thousands of Shanghai residents take refuge in an indoor resort

Thousands of people chose to escape the sweltering heat in Shanghai, where temperatures soared to 37 degrees Celsius, by taking refuge in one of the world's largest indoor ski resorts. According to Reuters, the Shanghai L+SNOW complex, which covers 98,000 square meters, maintains a constant temperature below 5 degrees Celsius all year round.

• Skiing and snowball fights in the middle of summer

Visitors enjoyed activities that seem unimaginable in a city heated by the sun: snowboarding, skiing and even snowball fights. For many locals, the experience was not only a form of entertainment, but also a highly sought-after solution to withstand the heat wave. "It was so hot outside, it felt like a pot on the stove. But inside, it felt like a refrigerator,” said Tang Junqi, a 10-year-old girl who spent the day on the covered slope with her mother.

• Heatwave alert extended

Shanghai authorities issued an orange alert last week - the second-highest on a three-level heatwave warning scale. The city recorded a record 23 consecutive days with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius in August. Meteorologists warn that the extreme temperatures will continue until the end of the month.

• Climate change, an aggravating factor

Experts point out that such extreme weather phenomena are becoming more frequent amid human-caused climate change. Carbon emissions, along with energy-intensive activities-such as artificially keeping indoor temperatures low-are contributing to the worsening situation. As the city struggles to cope with record-breaking heat, residents are discovering extreme climatic contrasts: an artificial "refrigerator” in the middle of an urban "oven.”