#Record #temperatures #Shanghai #heatwave #ravages #China
Shanghai was toasty under some of the hottest temperatures on record on Wednesday, as a searing heatwave in China sparked a spate of weather warnings and weighed on the agriculture and energy sectors.
Much of the northern hemisphere has been swollen under extreme heat this week, with France and Britain enduring soaring temperatures on Wednesday as firefighters battle wildfires in western Europe.
China has also suffered from extreme weather conditions this summer, with record floods last month driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes while other regions sweltered in street pinch heat.
Scientists say heatwaves have become more frequent due to climate change and are likely to get longer and more intense as global temperatures continue to rise.
At a central weather station in Shanghai, the mercury column rose to 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 Fahrenheit) at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, the official news site of the national weather service reported.
The figure “corresponded to the record air temperature in the region since records began in 1873,” the article said.
Social media users lamented the oppressive weather, with one user on the popular Weibo platform saying they “felt like meat on a grill just as I was taking my Covid test”.
“Maybe it will burn up the whole virus,” commented another.
Photos on social media showed health workers in Shanghai sitting or lying on blocks of ice to cool off while conducting a mass test drive to stem a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The economic hub experienced a grueling virus lockdown earlier this year, confining most of its 25 million residents to their homes for about two months.
A spate of heat warnings erupted in east and south China on Wednesday, as authorities warned that temperatures could reach 42C in certain areas.
Some media reported heat-related deaths.
Authorities have also warned of potential damage to agriculture, saying on Monday that the heat is “not conducive” to growing or harvesting rice, corn, cotton and other crops.
Electricity consumption has hit records in several parts of the country as people and businesses cranked up air conditioning to stay cool, Bloomberg News reported.
China is no stranger to hot summers, but this year is shaping up to be a hot summer even by the country’s standards.
Authorities in seven provinces last month warned millions of residents not to go outdoors as temperatures soared to 40C, as state media showed footage of roads cracking from extreme heat.
At the same time, several locations in the south saw record rainfall and flooding after the National Climate Center had forecast flooding “relatively worse” and “more extreme” than in previous years.
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#Record #temperatures #Shanghai #heatwave #ravages #China