Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

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autumn tiger - referring to a period of hot weather after liqiu (start of autumn), the 13th solar term of the Chinese calendar that falls around August 7-8.  

秋老虎

(qiū lǎohǔ)

A: Although liqiu just passed, the summer heat won't go away immediately. Looks like we still have some time before we really enter autumn.

立秋刚过, 暑气一时半会还不会消散, 这样看来距离真正入秋还有时日。

(lìqiū ɡānɡɡuò, shǔqì yīshí bànhuì hái bùhuì xiāosàn, zhèyànɡ kànlái jùlí zhēnzhènɡ rùqiū háiyǒu shírì.)

B: That's why you need to beware the "autumn tiger." In other words, we might be in for a wave of hot weather.

因此须警惕"秋老虎", 即或许会迎来新一轮高温天气。

(yīncǐ xū jǐnɡtì qiū lǎohǔ, jí huòxǔ huì yínɡlái xīn yīlún ɡāowēn tiānqì.)

A: This type of short heat wave lasts for about a week or two. After that the weather will gradually become cooler.

这种短期炎热天气大概会持续一两周左右, 过后天气就会逐渐转凉。

(zhèzhǒnɡ duǎnqī yánrè tiānqì dàɡài huì chíxù yī liǎnɡ zhōu zuǒyòu, ɡuòhòu tiānqì jiùhuì zhújiàn zhuǎnliánɡ.)