China is set to experience hotter than normal temperatures this summer, with forecasters warning the need to prepare against the threat of drought and power shortages.
Although extreme heat is expected in some areas, the overall situation is not expected to be as severe as in 2022, when the country experienced its worst heatwave on record, with more than 70 days of extremely high temperatures.
“Temperatures in most parts of the country are expected to be higher than average for this time of year, with more hot days expected,” Zheng Zhihai, chief forecaster at China’s National Climate Center, told state news agency China News earlier this week.
Zheng was quoted as saying that the scorching weather and drought that followed in the Yangtze River basin in the summer two years ago was an abnormal event caused by multiple factors.
He added that similar extreme temperatures for an extended period this year were unlikely.
04:31
Southeast Asian countries scorched by record-breaking heatwave
Southeast Asian countries scorched by record-breaking heatwave
However, preparatory work and proper irrigation are still needed to prevent drought and ensure continuity of power supply during peak summer months when demand for air conditioning is at its highest, he said.
The China Meteorological Data Service Center classifies any day with a maximum temperature above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) as a “high temperature day,” and if that continues for three consecutive days, it officially becomes a heat wave.
Scientists have warned of a high risk of more extreme heatwaves, heavy rains, droughts, accelerated sea-level rise and the rapid melting of sea ice and glaciers as a result of global warming, which is exacerbated by human activities.
A prolonged heatwave has swept across much of South and Southeast Asia over the past month, with temperatures reaching over 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in India’s capital New Delhi and nearby Rajasthan state, killing more than 50 people from heatstroke in the past week alone and putting severe strain on power supplies.
Temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius were also recorded in neighbouring Pakistan, and other affected countries include Thailand, where farmers are suffering severe damage, including those of durian, a hot and spicy fruit popular in China.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that this year is likely to be hotter than last year.
The warning was part of a report released Wednesday that said global temperatures could rise, at least temporarily, to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2028, falling short of the targets set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
Like mainland China, Hong Kong is expected to experience hotter than average temperatures this summer.
“Hong Kong is expected to experience some cooling due to La Nina, but this will be overshadowed by the overall global warming trend,” said Leung Wing Mo, spokesman for the Hong Kong Meteorological Society.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has announced that El Niño, the weather phenomenon that brings unusually warm waters to the Pacific Ocean, is weakening and giving way to its opposite, La Niña, which means a large-scale drop in sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean later this year, bringing cooler weather and more rainfall to coastal areas.
“The impact of La Niña may not be as significant for now as El Niño is transitioning into an ENSO-neutral state and La Niña is expected to develop after that,” he said.
ENSO-neutral conditions (short for El Niño Southern Oscillation) refer to normal conditions without a strong El Niño or La Niña event occurring.
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China prepares for record heatwave as temperatures soar in Beijing and Shanghai
China prepares for record heatwave as temperatures soar in Beijing and Shanghai
Ren Guoyu, a professor at the China University of Geosciences, said a subtropical high pressure system will develop in South Asia from late May to early June, bringing fewer clouds and less rain and rising temperatures.
Ren, who is also a researcher at the National Climate Center, told China News Service that the subtropical high pressure system from Iran to South Asia has been particularly strong this year.
