China in grip of heatwave, Beijing temperature hits record high for mid-June
Heatwave in Beijing
China's capital Beijingexperienced a mid-June temperature record of 39.4 degreeCelsius (103 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday (June 16) after whichresidentshavebeen advised to stay indoors by themeteorological authority.
In a statement on social media, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) stated that on June 16, at around 2:30 pm, the temperature at Beijing's Nanjiao Observatory reached 39.4 degreeCelsius, smashing the previous high mark for mid-June, reported AFP.
With many countries currently facing catastrophic heat waves with temperatures breaking records across Asia in recent weeks, scientists claim that global warming is a contributing factor to unfavourable weather.
The CMA warned that Beijing would see temperatures exceeding 37 degreeCelsius in the next few days and advised the public to limit their time spent outdoors and take precautions against heatstroke.
The second-highest level of warning for high temperatures is an orange alert for Beijing.
According to the official Xinhua news agency, eight provincial capitals nationwide posted their highest temperatures of the year on Thursday.
Lei Lei, a municipal meteorologist, told Xinhua that road surface temperatures in the capital exceeded 50 degreeCelsius, "which can easily cause road damage, vehicle tyre blowout, spontaneous combustion, and other traffic accidents".
India's heatwave trend
India is one of the nations most exposed and susceptible to heat.Studiessuggest that the frequency of hot days and nightshas risen significantly, and is estimated to increase between two and four-fold by 2050. Additionally, heatwaves are also predicted to arrive earlier, last longer and occur more frequently.
Those working outdoors as daily-wage labourers are the worst hit during a heatwave episode. They mostly lack access to cooling amenities like fans and air conditioners and must continue working in the blistering heat to make ends meet.
Extreme heat, which engulfed large parts of India and Pakistan in 2022,was rendered 30 times more likely due to climate change, according to a new rapid attributionstudyby climate scientists.
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“India is experiencing the impact of climate change. Due to its geographic diversity and large population exposure to climatic stressors, India is susceptible to all types of natural and climatic hazards. According to projections of climate change for India, more intense climatic conditions with significant variability are anticipated,” Prasoon Singh, Fellow and Area Convenor, Climate Change Division, The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) told WION.
The Global Climate Risk Index 2021 had ranked India seventh in the list of most affected countries in terms of exposure and vulnerability to climate risk events.
“A 2degreeCelsiusincrease in global average temperatures will render India's summer monsoon extremely unpredictable. At a temperature increase of 4degreeCelsius, a monsoon that presently has a one-in-a-century chance of occurring is projected to occur every 10 years by the end of the century,” Singh explained.
“A sudden change in the monsoon could precipitate a major crisis, resulting in more frequent droughts and intensified inundation across large portions of India. On the other hand, it is anticipated that droughts will become more frequent in certain regions, particularly in north-western India,” he added.
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