Shanghai breaks 100-year-old heat record amid intense heatwave

Monday’s peak temperature surpasses earlier May record of 35.7C

Tuesday 30 May 2023 08:41 EDT

A woman wearing sun protective clothing commutes on a bicycle amid hot weather in Shanghai on Monday (AFP/Getty )

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

China’s financial hub Shanghai experienced its hottest day in May in over a century amid an ongoing heatwave that has gripped large parts of the country’s southern region.

The bustling metropolitan city recorded temperatures at a scorching 36.1C on Monday, the state weather agency said.

Monday’s peak temperature surpassed the previous May record of 35.7C, which was set in 1876, 1903, 1915 and 2018, according to statistics from the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

Apart from Shanghai, at least 10 weather stations in southern China have recorded the highest May temperatures.

Sichuan province, home to more than 80 million people, has already issued high-temperature warnings, with some areas recording a sweltering 42C.

State media reports indicate temperatures in certain cities within Sichuan will reach 38C in the next few days, while some areas could even hit a scorching 42C.

The record-breaking heatwave continues an alarming trend of unusually hot weather experienced across the country since March.

China usually experiences its peak summer from June to August, when temperatures range between 25-33C ideally. In some regions, higher temperatures have been noted.

This year, however, the heat spell began much earlier, caused by increasing global temperatures because of the human-induced climate crisis.

In April – amid a sweltering heatwave reported across 12 countries in Asia – several weather stations in China recorded temperatures above 35C, unusually high for the season, state media reported.

Jim Yuan, a researcher at the China Meteorological Association (CMA), called it a “historical day” for the country as he noted that “approximately 200 weather stations broke or tied records for temperatures in May”.

“The heat will continue tomorrow, and the temperature in Yunnan will hit a new high,” he said.

The CMA forecast said that until Wednesday, a large portion of southern China, including Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, will experience temperatures exceeding 35C.

In some areas, temperatures may climb as high as 37-39C.

The rise in temperatures can also, in part, be a result of tropical cyclone Mawar which is passing close to the Philippines, Taiwan and southern China, bringing rains and gusts of winds to the archipelago.

“Because typhoon Mawar is currently at sea 600 kilometres east of China, southern China is affected by the northerly airflow on the west side of the typhoon,” Mr Yuan told The Independent.