Temperature soars up to 43.9℃ in China amid ongoing heat spell

BEIJING: Various cities across China have been hit by an ongoing heat spell which has seen the temperature exceeding the 40℃ mark.

The prevailing heat spell likely to continue for 10 more days in the coastal cities in the highly industrialised provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

The country's east and northwest regions including Shanghai, Anhui, Xinjiang along with Jiangsu and Zhejiang have experienced temperatures of up to 43.9℃, reported state broadcaster CCTV.

In nearby Shanghai, the maximum load, or demand, on its power grid exceeded 40 million kilowatts for the first time on Friday as 40℃ temperatures boosted electricity consumption in the city of nearly 25 million people, according to industry news outlet BJX.com.

Chinese meteorologists say the record heat this year has been aggravated by high continental temperatures owing to global warming, even as the La Nina weather phenomenon brings cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.

Earlier this year, the country was hit by its warmest spring since 1961 when it started to compile modern-day data. That was followed by the country's hottest May, triggering weeks of drought-like conditions in central China in June, hitting crops and livelihoods of farming communities in the region.

With the extreme heat this summer, electricity usage has also risen due to increased demand for air-conditioning. The spike in electricity demand could threaten a supply crunch.

Zhejiang's State Grid last month began recommending electric vehicle owners charge their vehicles late at night to stagger electricity use from daily peak hours.

It also advised people to turn off air-conditioning when temperatures were milder.

The national weather forecaster on Monday cautioned of potential fire hazards caused by excessive power consumption and excessive electrical loads.

In the coming days, many areas around the Yangtze River delta can expect sizzling weather of above 37℃ after daily maximum temperatures at seven national weather stations breached local historical extremes.

Jiangsu's observatory issued a red warning for heat on Sunday after high temperatures which had persisted for more than a week further intensified. The mercury could reach 40℃ in the cities of Wuxi, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang, CCTV said.

Hangzhou is expected to see 10 straight days of above 40℃ weather, breaking its record of eight days in 2013.