In 2022, China saw an extraordinary year of weather, including a record-breaking heat wave that caused roads to collapse and a drought that caused parts of the Yangtze River to dry up.
The third and fourth most expensive weather disasters caused by climate change that year in the nation were flooding and drought. Sadly, it doesn’t appear that the nation will receive a break in 2023.
At a briefing on Monday, the China Meteorological Administration issued a warning that the country’s north could see high temperatures once more and that the south was at risk of experiencing significant flooding. Spokesman Song Shanyun blamed the climate crisis for the warnings.
“Global warming is accelerating right now… and as a result of climate change, the climatic system is growing more unstable, according to Song, as quoted by Reuters.
According to government analyst Jia Xiaolong at the same event, China’s mean temperature was 0.62 degrees Celsius higher than average in 2022 at 10.5 degrees. Spring, summer, and autumn’s average temperatures were all the highest on record.
The deadliest heat wave, which lasted for more than 70 days and destroyed crops, dried up reservoirs and triggered wildfires, started in June. According to Climate Home News at the time, it broke the previous record for the longest heat wave, which stood at 62 days and was set in 2013.
According to Reuters, a drought in the southwest areas of Sichuan and Chongqing decreased the hydropower supply in addition to the high temperatures. China was compelled to depend more on coal as a result, with daily thermal coal burning reaching a record high of 8.5 million tonnes on August 3.
The China Meteorological Administration recommended the southern regions make measures to ensure they have the energy supplies to handle increasing energy demand throughout the summer in anticipation of another year of extreme heat.
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Extreme temperatures in 2022 raised concern about climate change in China.
According to Li Shuo of Greenpeace East Asia at the time, many people in China are beginning to refer to 2022 as the start of a new age for the climate. From this point forward, the abnormality may be the sole norm.
Jia claimed on Monday that China’s average rainfall in 2022 was 5% less than typical, according to Reuters.
However, the southern provinces of Jiangxi and Guangdong also saw record flooding in June 2022 which forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. The northern provinces of China are expected to experience flooding this year.
Extremes of heat and precipitation are predicted to get harsher in China as the country’s climate rises. Over several areas of East Asia, the daily precipitation extremes have grown, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The IPCC noted in its Sixth Assessment Report that heavy rains will become more regular and intense (high confidence), increasing the likelihood of landslides in several mountainous regions.
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International scientists concur with Song’s assertion that the current climate issue is driving temperatures to rise.
According to climate attribution specialist Friederike Otto, human-induced climate change has undoubtedly increased the frequency, intensity, and length of heat waves in China.
