China recorded its warmest autumn since records began in 1961, the National Climate Center announced on Wednesday, 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than average.
Between September 1 and November 30, the average temperature at the national level was 11.8 degrees Celsius, compared to 10.3 degrees Celsius on average, the institution stated in a post on the Chinese social network Wechat.
As the world’s largest emitter of CO2, China, like the rest of the world, is experiencing a significant rise in average temperatures, leading to more frequent heat waves, droughts and floods.
China has also experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization, which has led to the growth of urban heat islands.
Beijing has promised that its CO2 emissions will peak in 2030 before reaching net zero in 2060.
The exceptional temperatures recorded in autumn affected the Chinese territory in different ways, the National Climate Center states in a long post.
Temperatures rose more sharply in the center of the country, with increases between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius in some areas of Jiangxi and Hubei provinces, but also in the west, as in the Xinjiang autonomous region.
In total, 16 provinces and regions, including Liaoning, Tianjin and Chongqing, have recorded record temperatures since 1961.
China had already recorded its hottest August since 1961 and faced a summer marked by extreme weather and heat waves that affected much of its northern and western regions.
