China boils, records hottest summer in decades

China at the moment is experiencing its hottest since 1961 when it started to keep complete meteorological records, forcing many people to take shelter or use protection when outside.

According to the National Climate Center, the country’s average temperature from June 1 to Aug. 31 was 22.3 degrees Celsius, 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than that in the same period of regular years and the highest since 1961.

The centre said 17 provincial-level regions, including central China’s Hunan Province and southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, registered a record-hot summer.

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The average days with the highest temperature reaching or exceeding 35 degrees Celsius on the day in China reached 14.3 days, a record high since 1961 and 6.3 days more than that in the same period of regular years.

China saw 366 national-level meteorological stations reporting temperatures reading the same or higher than the previous record.

A total of 15 stations registered temperatures reaching or topping 44 degrees Celsius.

The national average precipitation logged the second lowest in the same period since 1961, said the centre.

The centre forecast that the temperature in autumn in most parts of China would be close to or slightly higher than that in regular years.