SHANGHAI (AFP) – China’s average temperature in 2023 was its hottest since records began, state media said citing officials yesterday, capping a year of extreme weather events for the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The record-setting temperatures were part of an unprecedented series of extreme events last year around the world – including heatwaves, droughts and wildfires that scientists said are being exacerbated by climate change.
China’s national average temperature last year was 10.7 degrees Celsius (°C), exceeding a record of 10.5°C set in 2021, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing Beijing’s National Climate Centre.
“The temperature across most of the country was higher by 0.5°C-1°C,” the article read.
Across China, 127 national weather stations broke records for daily high temperatures over the course of the year, it added.
Beijing smashed a 23-year-old record in July, with 27 consecutive days of temperatures above 35°C.
Records continued as the year progressed, with the capital logging its hottest ever late October day, among others.
