China opens former air raid shelters amid heat wave

BEIJING (AP) — High temperatures have prompted cites in eastern China to open former air raid shelters as a relief from the heat.

Temperatures have surpassed all-time records in much of the country, while flooding has hit many parts.

Air raid shelters were built in numerous Chinese cities during the Japanese invasion beginning in 1937. The building campaign was restored in the late 1950s when the former Soviet Union canceled its projects with China, prompting then-leader Mao Zedong to lean toward a diplomatic opening with Washington while guarding against a nuclear attack.