China wrapped up 2023, marking its warmest year ever recorded. As we enter 2024, what lies ahead in terms of climate and environmental shifts?
China experienced its warmest year on record in 2023, with the average national temperature reaching 10.7 degrees Celsius (51.3 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record of 10.5 degrees set in 2021, as reported by official broadcaster CCTV. The elevated temperatures, ranging from 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius higher than usual, led to 127 meteorological stations across the country breaking records for daily high temperatures. The findings align with global concerns about the impact of rising temperatures and their role in extreme weather events.
China experienced a year of extreme weather events in 2023, including a 23-year record for consecutive days over 35 degrees Celsius in Beijing and the capital’s hottest-ever day in late October. The nation faced disastrous floods in the north amid record-breaking heat, followed by a prolonged winter cold wave with record-low December temperatures. Experts attribute such extreme weather to global warming induced by greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, 2023 is anticipated to be the warmest year on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union.
