Beijing, July 5 (BNA): Heat waves are expected to engulf northern China in the next two weeks, with more than 250 million people expected to experience temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas.
Fang Xiang, deputy head of the National Meteorological Center, said that for four to six days, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Hebei, Henan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces will see temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius. NMC), Reuters reported.
China faced extreme weather variations this summer, with heat waves in the north and torrential rains and floods in the south. The government has blamed climate change, which it says will increasingly affect the economy and society.
In June, heat waves affected nearly half of China’s population. Fang said that part of the power grid load in northern China saw new highs last month, affecting power supply.
“Constantly high temperatures will have a noticeable impact on production and life, such as increasing pressure on the energy supply,” Fang said.
He said at a press conference that the risks of forest fires and damage to the stable growth of crops such as rice, cotton and maize can also be expected.
Fang warned that drought-like conditions are expected to affect crops in Shandong, Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu.
China’s average temperature in June was the highest since 1961, Wang Yaoyi, a meteorologist, told a press conference.
It was also 0.9 degrees Celsius higher than the same period in previous years, he said.
Last month, Henan and Jiangsu provinces, which have a combined population of more than 180 million, set new daily energy use records.
MI