China 'renews' orange alert for high temperatures

BEIJING: As intense heat waves continue to linger in China, the country's national observatory issued an orange alert for high temperatures on Thursday. According to the National Meteorological Center, the vast swathes of China's southern regions and some parts of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are expected to experience temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures in parts of Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Xinjiang may surpass 40 degrees Celsius, according to the forecast, suggesting that workers exposed to high temperatures shorten continuous working hours and outdoor activities during high-temperature periods should be avoided, Xinhua reported. Earlier, on July 23, the Xinjiang region raised the high-temperature alert from orange to red, the highest in China's four-tier weather warning system for extreme heat.

The local governments have been advised to take appropriate heat control measures and necessary protective steps against fires triggered by electrical overloads. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General last week warned that heatwaves will happen more frequently because of climate change, adding that the connection has been clearly demonstrated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC).

In the Mediterranean, a worrisome combination of climatic impact-driver changes (warming; temperature extremes; increase in droughts and aridity; precipitation decrease; wildfire increase; mean and extreme sea levels; snow cover decrease; and wind speed decrease) is expected by mid-century if global warming exceeds 2°C, reported Xinhua. The prolonged heat waves have threatened crops and people's lives and pushed China's power usage to record-breaking levels.

Since June, China has experienced this year's first regional hot weather. In total, 71 national weather stations across China have broken records with the highest temperatures. Some cities in southern China have been gripped by the dual challenges of heatwaves and sporadic clusters of COVID-19 infections.

China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.