Heatwave Sweeps Across China, Bringing Extreme Temperatures and Heavy Rainfall
On the 11th of July, an unexpected ambush occurred as the meteorological departments of Zhejiang and Shanghai announced the arrival of the plum blossom season. Alongside this, the rainy season has come to an end, allowing the subtropical high pressure system to dominate. According to perennial statistics, the Yangtze River Basin is now entering its main period of high temperatures.
The shift in high temperatures on the 11th was particularly noticeable, with the core area of high temperatures moving to the Yangtze River Basin. Many places in the Yellow River and Huaihe Rivers in North China experienced a decrease in high temperatures, while Sichuan, Zhejiang, Anhui, and other areas saw temperatures exceeding 38°C.
In Zhejiang, most areas recorded temperatures above 37°C, with large parts of the central region experiencing extreme high temperatures above 40°C.
As the rain arrived, the high temperatures in the Huanghuai region of North China seemed to weaken and stall before the 14th. However, humidity increased, leaving people feeling clammy and uncomfortable. In Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, and other cities, the highest temperature on the 12th dropped to about 30°C due to the rain. But once the rain weakened or stopped, the humidity increased, making it difficult to cool down.
After the 14th, the high pressure system strengthened again, merging with the Iranian high pressure in the west. This will lead to Xinjiang experiencing its hottest and strongest high-temperature period of the year, with temperatures peaking around the 15th. Turpan, in particular, is expected to reach a maximum temperature of 44°C, while some forecasts even predict temperatures close to 50°C in the Aiding Lake area of the Turpan Basin.
Meanwhile, in North China, the rain is expected to end on the 14th, returning the region to dry, hot conditions. Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang will all experience high temperatures for 3 to 4 consecutive days starting from the 14th.
Beijing has already experienced 23 days of high temperatures this year, just one day shy of the highest number of high temperature days on record (26 days in 2000). Tianjin has had 22 high-temperature days and is forecasted to have 3 more in the next 7 days, but the highest number of high temperature days recorded in the city is 27.
For areas under the control of the subtropical high, such as the south, there are not many options when it comes to weather. Over the next three days, a rain belt will move northward, causing heavy rainfall in the Sichuan Basin, eastern parts of Northwest China, North China, Huanghuai, Jianghuai, Jianghan, and other regions. The main period of rainfall is expected from the night of the 11th to the 13th.
From the 12th to the 13th, the Sichuan Basin and the Huanghuai area will become the centers for rainfall. Mountainous areas in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi must be alert for potential geological disasters, while low-lying areas in the Huanghuai area should be on guard for waterlogging.
By the 14th, the focus of rainfall will shift to eastern Inner Mongolia, Jilin, and Heilongjiang.
In areas affected by the subtropical high, long-lasting sweltering and high-temperature days will become the norm. In the days leading up to the 14th, a large area south of the Yellow River will experience scorching temperatures above 35°C and even 40°C. Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, and other regions will reach temperatures of 37-39°C, with the sweltering heat lasting throughout the day. Wuhan, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Changsha, Nanchang, and Chongqing may also set new temperature records this year.
After the 14th, as cold air moves southward and the subtropical high retreats eastward, the high temperatures in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will decrease, bringing relief from the heat. Hunan and Guangxi will be the first to experience lower temperatures, with Hangzhou withdrawing from the high-temperature ranks starting from the 15th.
However, in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Zhejiang, high temperatures will persist for a few more days. Fuzhou, for example, has already experienced 17 consecutive days of high temperatures, and the heat will continue from the 12th to the 16th. It’s worth mentioning that July is typically the hottest month in Fuzhou, with an average of 15.7 days of high temperatures.
With the heatwave affecting the east, west, north, and south, people are finding it hard to escape the scorching temperatures.