BEIJING (Reuters) – Heatwaves are forecast to return to China over the next 10 days after a brief respite, with high temperatures expected from east to west, meteorologists warned on Thursday.
A sharp spike in temperatures is expected as soon as Saturday, known as the day of the “big heat” on the Chinese Almanac, before building up into heatwaves, defined as periods of atypically hot weather of three days or more.
Searing temperatures are expected to envelop southern provinces, the country’s economically vital provinces in the east, as well parts of Xinjiang in the west, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre.
The hot spell is expected to be similar in scope as heatwaves from July 5-17, but more regions could be hit by temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius (104F) or higher, Fu Jiaolan, chief forecaster at the centre, told state media.
The heat this summer has been described by Chinese weather watchers as extreme, boosting demand for air-conditioning by homes, offices and factories and pushing the load on power grids in more than a dozen provinces to records.
From June 1 to July 20, parts of the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins – major centres of industry and commerce – were hit by at least 10 high-temperature days more than the norm.
Since June, heatwaves have also pounded other parts of East Asia, Western Europe, North Africa and North America, sparking wildfires in many countries.
Graphic: Scorching heat expected in Mainland China – https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-WEATHER/klvykyjndvg/index.html
Climate scientists caution that climate change will only make heatwaves hotter and more frequent.
(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Nick Macfie)
