Beijing Business People Affected by Cool Weather

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, July 07, 2002

Beijing Business People Affected by Cool Weather

Frequent rains in the past two weeks brought cooler temperatures to ordinary Beijing residents, but some business people saw slumping sales revenue.

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Frequent rains in the past two weeks brought cooler temperatures to ordinary Beijing residents, but some business people saw slumping sales revenue.

Beijing's chain stores selling electrical appliances complained that the rains brought a slump in the sales of air-conditioners, electric fans and refrigerators, which used to be big sellers on hot summer days.

In department stores, long-sleeved clothes and off-season sweaters were selling well.

Statistics from the state meteorological department showed it rained every day in Beijing after June 21, with 30 percent more precipitation than the same period in previous years.

Jiao Meiyan, director of the State Meteorological Station, saidthe rains were mainly caused by changes in atmospheric circulation.

The Beijing Television commented that weather became one of thefactors affecting business success. Business people were advised to adjust their operation to keep in tune with changes in weather and to be prepared for providing "off-season" products.

Fruit sales dropped in the course of rains. On Beijing's roadsides, watermelon sellers killed time playing cards, leaving their watermelons unattended while Hami melon prices were low. Lichees from south China's Guangdong Province were left in the cold on the Beijing market.

Some Beijing residents were not used to the cooler weather, too.The Beijing Union Medical College Hospital, Chaoyang Hospital and Xuanwu Hospital all saw a rise in patients during the rainy period.

Liu Dehai, a doctor at Xuanwu Hospital, explained that the low air pressure and high humidity over the past days led to more colds and rheumatism as well as cardiovascular and nervous diseases.

Liu said food tends to go off in rainy days due to the active breeding of bacteria. Therefore, more patients suffered acute enteritis and diarrhea than in fine weather.

Though successive rains stopped two days ago, meteorologists predict that Beijing may have 14 more rainy days in July.

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