Record temperatures hit eastern China, increasing energy demand

By Liz Lee and Ryan Woo

BEIJING (Reuters) -Eastern China baked under exceptionally high temperatures, with excessive heat expected to persist in coastal megacities in the highly industrialized provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang for up to 10 more days.

In eastern and northwestern China, temperatures of up to 43.9 degrees Celsius (111.02 degrees Fahrenheit) have scorched Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui and Xinjiang in recent days, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

On the coast, Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, recorded an all-time high of 41.9°C on Saturday. The city of 12.5 million inhabitants is expected to suffer temperatures exceeding 40ºC until August 11th.

In neighboring Shanghai, the maximum load, or demand, on its electrical grid surpassed 40 million kilowatts for the first time on Friday, as temperatures of 40ºC increased electricity consumption in the city of almost 25 million inhabitants, according to with industry media outlet BJX.com.

Chinese meteorologists say this year’s record heat has been worsened by high continental temperatures due to global warming, even as the La Nina weather phenomenon brings cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.

Earlier this year, China was hit by the hottest spring since 1961, when it began compiling modern data. The country’s hottest May followed, triggering weeks of drought-like conditions in central China in June, affecting harvests and the livelihoods of the region’s farming communities.

With this summer’s extreme heat, electricity consumption also increased due to the increase in demand for air conditioning. The increase in electricity demand could threaten a supply crisis.

Since last month, the State Grid of Zhejiang has started recommending that electric vehicle owners charge their vehicles late at night to stagger electricity usage during daily peak hours.

He also advised people to turn off their air conditioning when temperatures were cooler.

The national meteorologist warned on Monday of possible fire risks caused by excessive power consumption and excessive electrical loads.

In the coming days, many areas around the Yangtze River Delta can expect scorching weather above 37C after daily maximum temperatures at seven national weather stations surpassed local historical extremes.

The Jiangsu observatory issued a red heat alert on Sunday after high temperatures that had persisted for more than a week intensified further. The mercury could reach 40C in the cities of Wuxi, Changzhou and Zhenjiang, CCTV said.

Hangzhou is expected to have 10 consecutive days of weather above 40°C, breaking the 2013 record of eight days.

(Reporting by Liz Lee, Ryan Woo and Shanghai Editorial Staff; Editing by Michael Perry and Miral Fahmy)