Chinese cities broil in heat, braced for more record temperatures
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Over the past couple days, Shandong province and Beijing issued heat warnings.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING - Major Chinese cities have issued heat advisories, with Beijing expected to swelter in 36 deg C on Monday, as China braces itself for record-breaking temperatures that could threaten electricity supply, crops and a fragile economy.
China has already suffered from heatwaves in several regions since March.
Yunnan province in the south-west, which is known for its mild weather, recently experienced temperatures of more than 40 deg C, which is especially burdensome for power grids as millions of homes begin to switch on air conditioners.
The eastern province of Shandong and the Chinese capital of Beijing have issued heat warnings while Jinan and Tianjin in the north and centrally located Zhengzhou, are expected to see temperatures soar to as high as 37 deg C.
The heatwaves are occurring ahead of the regular summer season, which is particularly worrying for agriculture.
Crop damage could drive up food prices, exacerbate inflation and put pressure on China’s economy as it tries to rebound from a three-year zero-Covid policy that stunted growth.
Yunnan had only 35mm of rain for the year to April 20, state broadcaster CCTV reported recently with rainfall in the provincial capital of Kunming less than 8mm, the lowest since records began.
The heat could again put pressure on water reserves.
In 2022, a two-month stretch of record-breaking temperatures caused major rivers and waterways to dry up, severely impacting the Yangtze River.
The government’s National Fire and Rescue Bureau held a conference on Sunday to look at drought emergencies.
Weather experts point to global warming for the extreme weather.
The World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) in its latest assessment has assessed a strong likelihood of the El Nino weather phenomenon returning
“The development of an El Nino will most likely lead to a new spike in global heating and increase the chance of breaking temperature records,” said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas. REUTERS
