China reports ‘most severe’ heatwave and lowest rainfall on record
The Guardian says China recorded its highest temperatures and one of its lowest levels of rainfall in 61 years during a two-month summer heatwave that caused forest fires, damaged crops and hit power supplies, the national meteorological agency said.
The average national temperature in August, 22.4C, was 1.2C higher than the seasonal norm, while average rainfall fell 23% to 82 millimetres, the third lowest since records began in 1961, according to Xiao Chan, vice-director of China’s national meteorological administration.
He told reporters that 267 weather stations across China recorded their highest temperatures in history last month.