China records temperature of 52.2 degrees Celsius, extreme weather breaks record

People line up to visit Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, as temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius on June 15, 2023.

Specifically, according to Xinjiang Daily, the temperature in Sanbao town in Xinjiang's Turpan basin has risen to 52.2 degrees Celsius, with the record heat expected to last for at least another five days.

The temperature recorded on 17 July broke the previous record of 50.3 degrees Celsius, measured in 2015 near Ayding in the basin, a vast basin of sand dunes and dry lakes more than 150 meters below sea level.

Since April, countries across Asia have been hit by record heatwaves, raising concerns about their ability to adapt to climate change. Climate experts say the goal of keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius is slipping out of reach.

Prolonged high temperatures in China have challenged power grids and crops, raising concerns about a repeat of last year's drought that was rated the most severe in 60 years.

While China is no stranger to sudden temperature swings across the seasons, the changes are becoming more significant and widespread.

On January 22, the temperature in Mohe - a city in Heilongjiang province - dropped to -53 degrees Celsius, breaking China's previous all-time low of -52.3 degrees Celsius in 1969.

Since then, central China has also been hit by its heaviest rains in a decade, devastating wheat fields in the region known as the country's rice bowl.

US climate envoy John Kerry is in Beijing this week, scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua as the US and China seek to revive efforts to combat global warming.

According to Tin Tuc Newspaper