Record Temperatures and Regional Rainfall Variations

China experienced an unusually warm May this year, according to a meteorological expert. The national average temperature for May reached 17.7 degrees Celsius, exceeding the typical average by 1.2 degrees Celsius. This marks the highest temperature for May since 1961.

The majority of the country experienced temperatures close to or above normal levels. However, certain areas in northeastern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and western Inner Mongolia autonomous region saw temperatures exceeding 4 degrees Celsius above their typical levels.

Despite the warm temperatures, the national average precipitation for May was close to the typical levels, reaching 69.4 millimeters. Five regions in South China experienced heavy rainfall during the month.

Precipitation levels in specific areas of Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hainan, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Xizang autonomous region were significantly higher than normal, ranging from 50 percent to two times above their typical amounts.

However, other regions experienced significantly lower rainfall than usual. These areas include northern and southern North China, northeastern East China, Central China, Northwest China's Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang, and Southwest China's Xizang, Sichuan and Chongqing. Rainfall in these regions was 50 to 80 percent below their normal amounts.