Shanghai China Breaks 100-year-old Heatwave Record

VIVA – Shanghai City in China recorded its highest May temperature in more than 100 years on Monday, hitting a record 36.1 degrees Celcius (nearly 97 degrees Fahrenheit). The previous record of 35.7 degrees Celsius (96.3 degrees Fahrenheit) was first recorded in May 1876 and has been reached just three other times since including 1903, 1915, and 2018. 

The Shanghai Meteorological Department issued the first high-temperature warning of the year to exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) for three consecutive days. 

This heat wave comes after a heat wave swept China in July, with residents turning to cool spots and public water fountains. Throughout 2022, Shanghai recorded temperatures for the last 50 days with more than 35 degrees Celsius. 

Shanghai's current temperature warning level is yellow, the lowest of three levels. An orange warning applies if the maximum temperature is expected to rise above 37 degrees Celsius in 24 hours, and red means the temperature is expected to reach more than 40 degrees Celsius in the next 24 hours. 

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The heat wave comes amid record-high temperatures across Asia, including in Vietnam, Laos, and the Thailand capital earlier this month. Experts say the heat has been exacerbated by an intense smog season, which has caused pollution levels to soar. 

Scientists have long warned that heatwaves will get worse as the impact of the human-caused climate crisis accelerates. 

"The temperature of China's coastal waters has also increased significantly due to global warming, and sea level rise has accelerated, Wang Hua said," the head of the marine forecasting and monitoring department at China's Ministry of Natural Resources said last month. 

Over the past four decades, rising sea levels along China's coast have caused long-term effects, including erosion of coastal ecosystems and loss of tidal flats. 

They have also affected groundwater supply and increased damage caused by storms, flooding, and seawater intrusion.

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"The temperature of China's coastal waters has also increased significantly due to global warming, and sea level rise has accelerated, Wang Hua said," the head of the marine forecasting and monitoring department at China's Ministry of Natural Resources said last month.