Chinese cities swelter in record heat, rice-growing regions under threat

According to its network operator, Shanghai’s central Lujiazui place consumes twice as much energy per square kilometer as New York’s Manhattan or Tokyo’s Ginza district.

Officials in Hangzhou announced the implementation of a “practical” plan to ensure the regular operation of efficient lighting in open spaces and ensure the safety of nighttime travel as the maximum load on Hangzhou’s own grids reached new highs.

Despite the La Nina wind phenomenon’s cooling effects, Chinese meteorologists claim that global warming contributed to the record heat recorded in 2024.

China experienced its warmest flower since 1961 this year, followed by the hottest May, which followed weeks of dry spells in the northern farmland region.

Maximum normal temperature of 37 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and even above 40 degree Fahrenheit, are expected to hit parts of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang through Sunday.

In those regions, increased irrigation is needed to maintain fields nice because the temperature coincides with the early-season rice crop’s produce.

As a result of intense summertime temperature sweeping east Asia, fatalities have been reported in neighboring South Korea and Japan. China has not yet disclosed whether the extreme heat has caused any incidents.