China Issues Heat Alerts and Health Warnings Amidst Rising Temperatures

On June 30, 2025, people sought relief from the heat at an amusement park in Changxing, Zhejiang Province, East China. Maximum temperatures were anticipated to reach approximately 40 degrees Celsius.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) of China issued a yellow alert for high temperatures on Thursday morning. The forecast predicted scorching weather, with temperatures exceeding 37 degrees Celsius in more than ten provinces and regions. Some areas, including northwestern Zhejiang and Turpan in Xinjiang, were expected to experience temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius. Regions including the southern part of North China, the Huanghuai area, Jianghuai, Jianghan, most of Jiangnan, southeastern Sichuan, Chongqing, and the northern part of South China were also expected to see temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.

This heat alert was part of a series of recent meteorological warnings. The NMC also issued a yellow alert for dense fog, warning of reduced visibility in parts of the northern and central Yellow Sea and waters near Chengshantou. Additionally, a blue alert for rainstorms and severe convective weather was issued. Heavy to torrential rainfall was forecast for several regions between Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon. Extreme downpours of 100 to 180 millimeters were possible in certain areas, which were also expected to experience severe convective weather, including thunderstorms.

To enhance public health resilience in the face of climate change, China's National Disease Control and Prevention Administration and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) jointly issued the country's first national-level high-temperature health risk warning on Wednesday. This initiative aims to establish an early warning-based coordinated response mechanism, integrating meteorological alerts with public health interventions. A yellow-level alert of elevated health risk due to high temperatures was issued for several regions, while an orange alert, indicating high health risk, was issued for others.

low, moderate, relatively high, high, and extremely high. These levels are based on analyses of the correlation between heat exposure and excess mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The new system is regionally adaptive, providing more precise and localized risk assessments.

The meteorological authority stated that the warnings will be disseminated through the "Tianhe" weather service system and the national emergency alert platform, as well as via SMS and mobile apps to relevant government departments. Information will also be shared with the public through social media platforms.