Record Heat and Extreme Weather Signal Climate Change Vulnerability

A Year of Record-Breaking Heat and Extreme Weather

The year 2023 etched itself into history as the warmest year on record globally, with China experiencing its own historic high in average temperatures. This alarming trend, highlighted in the China Climate Change Blue Book 2024, serves as a stark reminder of the country's vulnerability to the impacts of global climate change.

The report, released by the National Climate Center of the China Meteorological Administration, paints a concerning picture of a climate system in flux. Deputy director Yuan Jiashuang emphasized the escalating frequency and duration of extreme high-temperature events, a trend exemplified by the devastating high-temperature drought that gripped the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2022. This event wreaked havoc on agriculture, energy resources, and public health, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of a warming planet.

Rising temperatures are also leading to an increase in the atmosphere's capacity to hold water, resulting in more frequent and intense precipitation episodes. Northern China has witnessed unprecedented heavy rainfall incidents in recent years, leading to urban inundation, flash floods, and landslides, causing injuries, deaths, and substantial economic losses.

The future outlook remains bleak, with projections indicating an increase in extreme high-temperature events in China against the backdrop of global warming. Regional average extreme highest temperatures are expected to rise by 1.7 to 2.8 degrees Celsius over the next 30 years, with the largest increases in the eastern region and western Xinjiang. The average number of high-temperature heat wave days is also forecast to surge by 7 to 15 days.

The China Climate Change Blue Book 2024 serves as a clarion call for action, urging the nation to take decisive steps to mitigate the impacts of climate change and build a more resilient future.