Climate Crisis: China Experienced its Hottest August in History in Several Provinces
The national meteorological service emphasized in an article published on Sunday that “most regions of China have experienced a hotter summer than in previous years.”
Much of the northern hemisphere is currently facing particularly strong heatwaves towards the end of summer, from Europe to Asia. Similar to Japan, where meteorological services announced that August was the hottest month recorded in the country, Chinese authorities reported exceptional temperatures on Monday, September 2. In August, average air temperatures were the highest on record in Shanghai, as well as in six provinces (Jiangsu and Shandong in the east, Hebei in the north, Hainan in the south, Jilin and Liaoning in the northeast), and in the Xinjiang region in the northwest, as reported by the national meteorological service’s information portal.
Five other provinces experienced their second hottest August on record, and seven others had the third hottest. “Most regions of China have experienced a hotter summer than in previous years,” highlighted the national meteorological service in its article published on Sunday.
In July, the national average temperature reached its highest level, 23.21°C, compared to 23.17°C during the previous record in 2017.
More Frequent and Intense Climate Extremes
Several major cities, such as Shanghai, Hangzhou in the east, and Chongqing in the southwest, have also seen a greater number of “days with high temperatures” (typically when the mercury exceeds 35°C) than in any other August since the beginning of records.
China is experiencing a summer marked by extreme weather events and locally unusual temperatures, phenomena exacerbated by climate change according to scientists.
As the largest global emitter of greenhouse gases in absolute terms, contributing to this climate change, China has pledged to peak emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Since the 19th century, the Earth’s average temperature has increased by 1.1°C. Scientists have definitively established that this increase is due to human activities consuming fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas). This unprecedented rapid warming poses a threat to the future of our societies and biodiversity. However, there are solutions – renewable energies, frugality, reducing meat consumption – available. Discover our responses to your questions on the climate crisis.