China's Average Temperature Hits Record High in 2024, Marking Warmest Year on Record

China's Average Temperature Reaches Record High in 2024

China's average temperature in 2024 reached 10.92 degrees Celsius, marking the warmest year on record since complete meteorological observations began in 1961. This is 1.03 degrees Celsius higher than the historical average.

Data from Weather China, the public weather service center of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), shows that the average temperatures last year across all provinces and regions on the Chinese mainland ranked among the top four warmest years in observation history. 22 provinces and regions recorded their warmest year since 1961.

The second warmest year on record was 2023, followed by 2021 in third place and 2022 in fourth. Notably, the top four warmest years have all occurred within the past four years, and all of the top 10 warmest years have been recorded in the 21st century.

This data highlights a clear trend of rising temperatures. Average temperatures from the years before the 21st century rarely reached the 30-year climate baseline from 1991 to 2020, while most years after 2000 have consistently exceeded the benchmark.

"Over the past two decades, the trend of elevated temperatures has become increasingly apparent, illustrating the impact of global warming," the center said.

The year 2025 has also begun with warmer-than-average temperatures. On Wednesday afternoon, much of the area south of the Yangtze River experienced temperatures exceeding 15 degrees Celsius, a stark contrast to the typical biting cold temperatures expected during this winter period.

For instance, the afternoon high at around 3 pm reached 17.3 degrees Celsius in cities like Changsha in Hunan province, which is similar to the average temperature of late March in previous years. Over the next four to five days, the city's daily high temperatures are expected to hover around 15 degrees Celsius, more than 4 degrees Celsius above the seasonal norm.

The World Meteorological Organization also announced that 2024 is set to be the warmest year on record globally, capping a decade of unprecedented heat fueled by human activities.

"We have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top 10 hottest years on record have happened in the last 10 years, including 2024," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message for the New Year.