China’s Record Hot Spell Piles Pressure on Power Supply

(Bloomberg) — China is bracing for more extreme heat over the summer after a record spell of high temperatures, with expectations that an earlier-than-usual surge in electricity demand will put more pressure on the grid.

The country has experienced the largest number of days when the average temperature is 35 degrees Celsius (95° Fahrenheit) or above this year through June since records began in 1961, the National Climate Center said in a report. More heat waves are forecast in July and August, when temperatures across much of the nation will be as much as 2°C higher than usual, it said.