Temperatures jumped above 40°C in parts of northern and central China this week, prompting authorities to issue heat warnings and offer aid to impacted farmers, Reuters reports.
The cities of Zhengzhou, Henan province and Shahe, Hebei province, both experienced record-high temperatures for May – with the mercury hitting 41°C and 42.9°C respectively. The heat was expected to continue today, before cooling on Thursday and Friday.
The weather saw large sprinkler trucks deployed in Zhengzhou to help cool down its urban areas, and similar spraying techniques were used in neighbouring Shanxi province.
[See more: It is ‘virtually certain’ that Earth has breached the 1.5°C climate change threshold]
In Shandong Province’s Lanling county, vegetable farmers were being urged to keep their greenhouses well ventilated to help plants survive the heat.
The heatwave followed heavy rainfall in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, which started on Sunday. Six people were killed, while the regions’ train services and power supply have been severely disrupted.
Heatwaves are getting longer and hotter in the mainland due to climate change, while heavy rainfall is becoming more frequent and unpredictable. Authorities have warned that the country’s massive population of around 1.4 billion people makes it particularly vulnerable to the impacts of global warming, while meteorological data shows 2024 was China’s hottest year on record.
