Nearly half of China has been hit by the latest heat wave, the hottest since record-keeping began in 1961. Hundreds of temperature records have been broken and the heat has exacerbated the effects of low rainfall, drying up rivers and reservoirs across the country. Light to moderate rains have moved into central and southern China and are expected to intensify this week, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). It said moderate to heavy rainfall was expected from southern Gansu to Yunnan and across the drought-stricken Sichuan Basin, bringing the risk of flash floods. In Sichuan on Monday more than 110,000 people in Sichuan had been moved to safer areas. After a period of much below-average rainfall, some areas will now see up to twice as much as normal, the agency said. The CMA said the rains would help replenish reservoirs but still maintained drought warnings. High temperatures are expected to ease on Wednesday for parts of southern China. The heatwave has sparked huge demand for electricity as hundreds of millions of people turn to air conditioning, which in turn has led to major power shortages. In all affected cities and provinces, authorities suspended or reduced power supply to factories, shopping malls, apartment buildings and public transportation. Li Xi, a resident of central Chongqing, told the Guardian that residents of the high-rise apartment building were able to use their air conditioning, but areas outside the city and public spaces were rationed. “Without AC it’s terrible at home… I stay at home all day and go out in the evening after sunset,” he said. “Chongqin City is taking some measures to save electricity – the supermarket is only open from 4pm to 9pm… Even in the subway the elevator is off and we have to take the stairs.” The heat, combined with power and water shortages, has had a debilitating effect on regional and rural areas, as well as on vulnerable groups, including the elderly and those who work outdoors. Andrew Polk, an analyst at Trivium China, said demand for electricity has overwhelmed provincial power grids and warned that it is “very likely” next winter will see another regional power crisis. Polk said water shortages in the Yangtze River and dozens of tributaries during the supposed wet season have severely affected power supplies in Sichuan – which gets 80 percent of its electricity from hydropower – and downstream regions. Cooler temperatures would reduce household demand for electricity and ease the curtailment of commercial and industrial power, but it was only temporary. “Officials had to release the reservoirs to prevent agricultural, river transport and ecological disasters,” he said. “The chances are high that Sichuan will again have low hydropower by the end of the year – even if the heatwave ends immediately…Sichuan is now in such a water deficit that it would take a meteorological miracle to reach anything close to normal levels for winter energy production”. Analysts said centers like Sichuan would likely have to step up reliance on fossil fuel power in the short term, until renewables catch up. On Tuesday, the official People’s Daily newspaper warned of the need for regions to prepare for increasing extreme weather events caused by global warming, including droughts and floods. Additional reporting by Xiaoqian Zhu
