Scorching heatwaves roast China with 900m affected, to persist into August

[superadmin]

Scorching heatwaves roast China with 900m affected, to persist into August, as authorities, industries brace for intense heat

Hot air has blanketed many parts of China including Shanghai, Southwest China's Sichuan Province and East China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, affecting more than 900 million people and over half of the national territory as of this week, with many cities in the grip of a heatwave for more than a month and temperatures soaring to above 44 C, according to the meteorological authority. 

The prolonged heatwaves have threatened crops and people's lives and pushed China's power usage to record-breaking levels. Despite the challenges, key industries in China have not experienced power cuts and the Chinese government has been taking measures including drawing up off-peak power use plans, and helping farmers install more cooling machines. 

- More -