China Breaks Its Record Of Highest Number Of Hot Days

China has broken its own record for the highest number of hot days, the authorities announced.

On Sunday, China's National Climate Center recorded an average of 4.1 days this year wherein the temperature exceeded 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest since 1961.

The national average was computed from the number of high-temperature days that the weather stations across the country recorded.

The heavily populated region of Northern China has been hardly hit by the extreme heat, and more is expected in the coming weeks.

Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, has recorded 17 high temperature days, followed by Beijing with 14 days.

"The reason behind this is that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is under a warmer air mass from recent days and the influence will last for a while. Under the influence of a high-pressure ridge, the sky is clear with no cloud cover, which makes it easier for solar radiation to create heat," Zhao Wei, chief forecaster of the Beijing Meteorological Station, told the Global Times.

Heat Waves Are Set To Be More Severe

The NCC noted that the extreme heat recorded in June, a month when repeated heat waves are highly uncommon, was the most intense China had experienced over the past decade.

Scientists have warned that heat waves are set to become more frequent and severe.

China Meteorological Administration chief of climate service Zhou Bing said the extreme weather occurrences experienced by China are associated with El Nino.

"The development of El Nino will lead to an increase in rainfall in southern China in summer and a decrease in rainfall in northern China, with flooding in the south and drought in the north," Zhou added.

El Niño is a climatic phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean close to the equator.

According to a CNN report, El Niño occurs every two to seven years and can cause the eastern Pacific to be up to four degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer.

Residents feel the discomfort of the extreme heat.

A 53-year-old Beijing resident surnamed Su said said via the report that he has lived in the city of Beijing for three decades, but that he has never experienced a summer "as hot as this one."

China Power Grid Faces Challenge

The extreme heat has put the power grid of China under pressure as the electricity demands at homes, offices, and factories have increased.

The China Electricity Council stressed that the maximum load on the grid is expected to reach 1.37 billion kilowatts this year, which is 80 million more than last year.

The State Grid has implemented some power grid projects to meet the soaring demand for electricity.

Sun Protection

Aside from electricity demand, there is also an increased demand for sun protection products, such as face bikinis, ice silk sunscreen sleeves, and masks in China.

China's e-commerce platform said people from Beijing, Guangdong, and Jiangsu have spent more money to buy sun protection items.

"Current capacity is really tight. We are able to delivery our products in 7-15 days, but now the longest delivery time is prolonged by around 60 days," Zhao Xiping, an e-commerce representative told Global Times.

Related Video: