The worst heat waves in the world are blowing

long life

As of August 24, 73 days have passed with extreme temperatures — more than two months, without a break. The heat wave surpassed the previous record of 62 days in 2013.

So it is the longest recorded in the world so far. Everything points to her not bowing: she may start losing her feathers at the end of the week.

strength

Its intensity is also noteworthy. Temperature records have been raining since June 13, when the heat wave started. China has never seen 40°C in a single year and the 35°C figure is unusual. The mercury even touched 45°C at times.

New all-time heat records were also charted.

Geographical range

More than 240 cities have recorded values ​​above 40°C and more than 260 municipalities have broken heat records in the past few days. In total, about 800,000 km2 were affected by this extreme heat.

The southeast, near the coast, is particularly affected. It is also the most populous region by far. The metropolises of Shanghai and Beijing are breathing: alone, they represent about 40 million people. In all, nearly 100 million civilians suffered from the oppressive heat. The western part of the country was also badly affected.

Many effects

The effects of this monster heat wave are major. A severe and persistent drought is affecting many parts of China, especially near the Yangtze River. The latter is the largest river in the country and supplies fresh water to hundreds of thousands of people. It has reached its lowest level in more than 150 years.

This immense river also supplies several hydroelectric power stations. Many factories were forced to close for a week to ensure that Chinese households had access to power, particularly in Sichuan province.

Agriculture will also be affected by this historic heat wave. Waterlogged rice and soybean crops were the most affected. China’s food security is also threatened.

See also: Dinosaur Tracks Discovered Due to Severe Drought