China braces for an even hotter weekend as temperatures climb

• China has been hot since June.
• The average temperature is 22.1 degrees Celsius.
• Central Meteorological Observatory tells citizens to stay inside.

Over a dozen cities in China have issued red alerts, the most dangerous heat advisories, for the weekend.

The Meteorological Administration of China said 19 cities in Zhejiang and Fujian will hit 40 degrees Celsius in 24 hours (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Another 208 cities and counties in China are under orange alert, the second highest heat warning (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

This alert covers Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and parts of Anhui and Henan.

Saturday, the “Great Heat” according to the Chinese lunar calendar, is the hottest day of the year.

China has been hot since June. According to China’s National Climate Center, the average temperature is 22.1 degrees Celsius, the highest since 1961.

71 Chinese weather stations have recorded record temperatures in recent weeks. In three Hebei cities and one Yunnan city, temperatures hit 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit).

In hot weather, China’s Central Meteorological Observatory tells citizens to stay inside, decrease work hours, and avoid heatstroke.

According to a 2020 Lancet report, heat-wave mortality in China has risen substantially since 1990, reaching 26,800 in 2019.

However, China unveiled a new climate change policy document this year. It stated climate change produced long-term concerns and made the country prone to “sudden and catastrophic” disasters including heat waves, drought, and flooding.

In its national climate change adaptation policy, the government noted, “Climate change has already had major detrimental consequences on China’s natural ecological system, and these effects have expanded into the economy and society.”

It promised to make China “climate-resilient” by 2035 by monitoring and assessing climate threats and developing early warning systems.