China’s meteorological data shows 2024 was the warmest year for the country since comparable weather records began more than six decades ago, the second straight year in which milestones were broken.
Sweltering Heat
The national average temperature in China stood at 10.92 degrees Celsius (51.66 Fahrenheit) last year in 2024, more than 1 degree higher than in 2023, according to weather.com.cn, a service portal run by the China Meteorological Administration.
The ten warmest years since records started in 1961 were all in the 21st century, the service portal said.
For densely populated Shanghai, China’s financial hub, 2024 was the warmest since the Qing dynasty, weather data from the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau showed on Wednesday.
The city’s average temperature stood at 18.8 Celsius, the hottest since Shanghai’s meteorological records began in 1873.
Last year’s warmer weather, accompanied by stronger storms and higher rainfall, led to spikes in power consumption in the world’s second-largest economy.
Agriculture Affected
Sweltering heat also affected agriculture in regions including the rice-growing south.
To safeguard its food security in the face of rising temperatures, China has embarked on research into adapting staple crops to heat.
Crop yields are expected to fall if alternatives are not found.
Scientists at a Beijing research facility found potatoes, of which China is the world’s top producer, weighed less than 50% of typical varieties if they grew in a chamber set at 3 degrees Celsius above the norm.
Climate Change
India too, along with China, experiences record breaking temperatures through the year. The IMD said on Wednesday that 2024 was the hottest year since 1901, as per an AFP report.
India endured its longest heatwave last year, with temperatures soaring over 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
Under current climate policies, the world could warm by as much as 3.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100, according to a United Nations report released in October. This could fuel natural disasters that can cause billions of dollars worth of damage and loss of life and property.
(with inputs from Reuters)
