The heat wave is coming!Electricity demand in many places around the world hits record high

Financial Associated Press, June 21 (Editor Niu Zhanlin) This year, many places around the world have encountered rare heat waves, testing the limits of human survival. The sweltering heat in Europe is coming earlier than ever, with parts of Spain and France experiencing high temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius in recent days, which have also sparked widespread wildfires. The highest temperature in many parts of the United States has broken records, and more than 100 million Americans have received high temperature warnings. Under the abnormally high temperature weather, the electricity consumption of air conditioners and other electrical appliances has soared, and the electricity demand in many places around the world has reached a record high.

Meteorological experts have warned that hot weather is coming sooner than usual due to climate change. According to the “Guardian” report, the temperature in parts of France exceeded 40 degrees Celsius on June 17, and experts at the country’s meteorological agency said it was the earliest heat wave on record in France since 1947.

Climate change has made heatwaves five to 10 times higher than they were a century ago, with temperature increases of 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius, Met France noted. Human-caused global warming could lead to more extreme and severe weather events, including heat waves, droughts, rainfall and floods.

According to the news released by the Spanish National Meteorological Service on June 14, local time, the high temperature has made 15 regions of Spain in a high temperature warning state, including Andalusia, Aragon, Castile-Leon and Castile. A high temperature orange warning is in place for the regions of Ala-La Mancha, Extremadura, Madrid and Catalonia.

Many places in India are also experiencing extreme heat, with the highest temperature reaching nearly 50°C. According to Reuters, India has experienced an unprecedented heatwave since late March this year. Temperatures in many places in northern, western and eastern India exceeded 40°C. According to preliminary statistics, nearly 100 people have died due to the extreme heat, and the hot and dry weather has also affected local crop harvests and increased the risk of forest fires and power outages.

The heat wave spread from the southern and western U.S. to the central and eastern U.S. last week. In the southwestern and midwestern regions of the United States, the highest temperature in many places has reached about 40 degrees Celsius. The number of people hospitalized for heat stroke in the United States has grown rapidly. Some scientists have warned that the United States could experience more frequent and extreme heat in the future due to climate change and intensifying droughts.

surge in electricity demand

The heat wave hits, and people’s demand for electricity surges. “Never have we experienced a power shortage of this magnitude,” said the major U.S. regional grid operator.

The U.S. power department issued a warning that as the heat wave continues, more areas in the United States will face power shortages or even major power outages. At that time, “rotating power outages” may be adopted to avoid grid paralysis.

Europe is even more embarrassed. With the reduction of Russia’s natural gas supply imports, the “gas shortage” situation in Europe is becoming more and more serious. Some European countries have begun to worry that insufficient natural gas reserves will seriously affect future heating in winter. Facing power shortages, Germany, Italy, Austria and other countries have decided to open more coal-fired power plants.

According to the official Weibo of the State Grid Corporation of China on Monday (June 20), since mid-June, with the high temperature in many places and the continuous recovery of economic operations and other factors, the electricity load of the Northwest Power Grid and Gansu Power Grid has reached a record high. , the North China Power Grid hit a new high since the beginning of summer.

As temperatures rise, so does the demand for electricity from households and businesses, which typically peak in late July and early August in many countries in the northern hemisphere.