{"id":47012,"date":"2022-08-23T15:55:22","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T14:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=47012"},"modified":"2022-08-23T15:58:48","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T14:58:48","slug":"china-hit-by-longest-and-strongest-heatwave-on-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2022\/08\/23\/china-hit-by-longest-and-strongest-heatwave-on-record\/","title":{"rendered":"China hit by longest and strongest heatwave on record"},"content":{"rendered":"

China has suffered its most intense and sustained heatwave on record this summer, causing wildfires, power outages and crop failures.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The heatwave across much of northwest, central and southeast China has lasted 72 days and counting. The previous record set in 2013 was 62 days.<\/p>\n

The Chinese Meteorological Administration said<\/a> the heatwave up to 15 August had been the “strongest” since records began in 1961 and the “coverage of the temperature of above 40C has been the largest in history\u201d. High temperatures persist in many provinces.<\/p>\n

Chinese and international experts blame climate change caused by burning fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

Chen Lijuan from the National Climate Center told state media<\/a> on Saturday: “Against the backdrop of global warming, heatwave will be a ‘new normal.’ The high temperature starts early, leaves late and lasts long, this will become more and more obvious in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A map of the number of high temperature days 1 June to 15 August 2022. Darker red means more high temperature days. (Photo: CMA<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

Climate attribution expert Friederike Otto told Climate Home: “Heatwaves in China have definitely become more common and more intense as well as longer in duration because of human-induced climate change.”<\/p>\n

While the heatwave has hit large areas of China, the central province of Sichuan has been worst affected. Danson Cheong, a reporter from The Straits Times, said that the soles of his shoes had melted in the heat in Sichuan’s main city Chongqing while Sohu reported<\/a> that a field of grapes in the province had dried to raisins in the heat.<\/p>\n

Chongqing is forecast to stay hot<\/a> for the rest of the week before cooler, wetter weather arrives.<\/p>\n

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Hello from Chongqing, where it is 43 degrees Celsius and the heat has literally melted the soles off my feet pic.twitter.com\/dNDfeOLpZa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Danson Cheong (@dansoncj) August 22, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rainfall has been low. The hot and dry conditions have helped wildfires to spread. One Chongqing resident posted on Weibo<\/a> yesterday: “The air smelled of smoke all night… when I woke up in the morning, the balcony was full of soot and large piece of things that blown over and scorched by the wind.”<\/p>\n

The drought and heat have damaged crops too. According to data released<\/a> by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management on Thursday, the drought caused a direct economic loss of 2.73 billion Chinese yuan ($400m).<\/p>\n

The weather has caused power shortages. Sichuan relies heavily on hydropower. Dry conditions have reduced the water level of reservoirs and therefore the power generated by hydropower turbines. At the same time, hot weather has increased demand for electricity for air conditioning.<\/p>\n

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The Chongqing mountain fires are trending on Weibo, People’s Daily sent out this video two hours ago, a lot of people in comments repeating the same sentiment: please let it rain, please let it rain 🙏 pic.twitter.com\/7yQgg2jyd5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n