SHANGHAI: China’s average temperature in 2023 was its hottest since records began, state media said citing officials on Tuesday (Jan 2), capping a year of extreme weather events for the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The record-setting temperatures were part of an unprecedented series of extreme events last year around the world – including heatwaves, droughts and wildfires that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change.
China’s national average temperature last year was 10.7 degrees Celsius, exceeding a record of 10.5 degrees Celsius set in 2021, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing Beijing’s National Climate Centre.
“The temperature across most of the country was higher by 0.5 degrees Celsius to 1 degrees Celsius,” the article read.
Across China, 127 national weather stations broke records for daily high temperatures over the course of the year, it added.
Beijing smashed a 23-year-old record in July, with 27 consecutive days of temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.
Records continued as the year progressed, with the capital logging its hottest ever late October day, among others.
Experts warn that global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions makes extreme weather more likely.
China is the world’s biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases driving climate change, such as carbon dioxide.
A recent jump in approvals for coal-fired power plants added to concerns that China will backtrack on its goals to peak emissions between 2026 and 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2060.
A study released last month found that the country’s air pollution worsened in 2023, the first time it has done so in a decade.