Shanghai recently broke a 149-year-old heat wave record, recording 40.9 degrees Celsius.
Many cities in China are in red alert today due to the heat wave affecting the country, in which dozens millions of residents have been asked to stay in their homes.
Extreme heat waves, sometimes deadly, have hit parts of the world in recent months, including western Europe this month and India in March-April.
According to scientists, climate change has made heat waves more frequent, a phenomenon expected to worsen with the predicted rise in temperatures in the coming years.
China is no exception: h Shanghai recently broke a 149-year heat wave recordrecording 40.9 degrees Celsius, while in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, in the eastern part of the country, the mercury exceeded 41 degrees Celsius over the weekend, setting a historical record in two cities of these provinces.
The population in red alert zones — mainly in the southeast and northwest of the country — has been instructed to “cease all outdoor activity” and “pay special attention to fire prevention,” the national weather service said. service.
Saturday marked the start of the hottest time of the year according to the traditional Chinese calendar, but this summer looks set to surpass all expectations.
To cool off, hundreds of Chinese flocked to Xiamen Beach in Fujian Province yesterday, Sunday.
This heat wave puts pressure on the Chinese power system, as residents and businesses use more air conditioning. The country’s largest power plants broke production records in mid-July, according to Sxcoal, a special energy publication.
Local authorities in some provinces have decided to turn off public lighting and charge more for electricity for businesses during peak hours.
The heat wave will “adversely affect local crops,” Fu Jiaolan, an official in charge of forecasting at the National Meteorological Center, warned.
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