Large swathes of China’s economic heartland are set to roast in temperatures of 37-39 degrees Celsius (99-102 degrees Fahrenheit) over the coming week. Forecasters are warning that parts of Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, as well as the more central provinces of Hubei and Henan, could top 40 C.
China’s “Sanfu Season” - an agricultural marker thought to have been in use for more than two millennia - typically begins in mid-July and lasts through late August, sending people sheltering from intense summer heat.
Extreme heat, which meteorologists link to climate change, has emerged as a major challenge for Chinese policymakers. As well as scorching croplands and eroding farm incomes, higher temperatures can affect manufacturing hubs and disrupt operations in key port cities, and strain already overburdened healthcare systems.
However, China does not appear to be heading for a record-breaking summer, Lee said, noting that recent high temperatures in northern China and the number of hot days so far remain lower than during the same period in 2023.
“I feel very hot after walking out of the office,“ said Iris Chen, a 21-year-old student. “It’s just the beginning of July, so it’s probably not the highest temperature yet.”
The world’s largest Legoland is set to open in Shanghai on Saturday, but the searing heat shows little sign of curbing enthusiasm for the city’s newest attraction.
In 2022, China was hit by the worst heatwaves since 1961, with many parts of the country enduring a 79-day hot spell from mid-June to late August. No official death toll was disclosed and China does not give a tally of heat-related deaths, although domestic media occasionally report fatalities citing local authorities.
China is not alone in having to contend with the potentially catastrophic consequences of extreme heat. Earlier this week, Greek firefighters battled wildfires on the island of Crete and near Athens, as an early summer heatwave linked to the deaths of at least eight people sweeps across Europe.
Compounding the challenge facing Chinese officials, while the east bakes, other parts of the country are struggling with torrential rain, conditions that analysts also attribute to climate change.
The national meteorological centre forecast more torrential rain across parts of north- and southwest China on Friday and Saturday, with videos circulating on Chinese social media showing residents canoeing through flooded streets in the city of Chengdu. - Reuters
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