Searing Heat Tests China’s Ability to Keep Its Factories Running

(Bloomberg) — A persistent heatwave is hobbling China’s ability to keep its factories operating as virus curbs disrupt the supply of coal and inventories of the fuel run low.

The government’s pledge to prevent a repeat of the power outages that crippled industry last year is being sorely tested by the summer heat. As the world’s biggest producer and consumer of coal, China is proving to be both a victim and a contributor to a climate emergency that has brought an extended bout of scorching weather across the globe.