Chinese university students sleep on gym mats in air-conditioned sports centre to escape searing summer heat

Students at the Central China Normal University in Wuhan have been forced to sleep in air-conditioned gym

Temperatures in humid Hubei Province average around 27C to 30C in summer but regularly soar above 35C




Chinese students have been forced to sleep in a university gym to escape a searing 38C heatwave.

The sports hall at the Central China Normal University in Wuhan is one of the only air-conditioned buildings on campus and has been converted into a temporary dorm.

Hundreds of students have been sleeping on woven rush mats on the floor since the heatwave began on Thursday. Some have brought home comforts with them, including duvets, blankets and soft toys.



Refuge: Chinese students take refuge from 38C heat by sleeping in the air-conditioned gym at the Central China Normal University in Wuhan

Giant sleepover: Female college students play cards and check their phones as others try to sleep in the gym

For entertainment in the evenings the students have been playing cards together or using their mobile phones. Boys and girls have been separated by a barrier down the middle of the hall.

Nearly 30,000 students attend the university, including more than 10,000 postgraduate students and 1,300 international students. It teaches 60 different undergraduate courses as well as Master's and PhD programmes.

Wuhan, in Hubei Province in central China, is known as one of the country's 'four stoves' because of its hot, humid summers.

Although temperatures average around 27C to 30C in July, its hottest month, the city heats up to over 35C (95F) on at least 20 days a year.

Separated: A barrier divides the girls from the boys in the university gym in Hubei province, China