() The Chinese city of Shanghai registered the highest temperature in May in more than 100 years on Monday, with a record of 36.1 degrees Celsius (almost 97 degrees Fahrenheit).
The previous record, of 35.7 degrees Celsius (96.3 degrees Fahrenheit), was first recorded in May 1876 and has only been reached three other times since then, including 1903, 1915 and 2018, state media reported.
It is unknown when the city began recording its temperatures.
The heat wave on Monday, which broke the record for May, was registered in the Xuhui district of the city, state media CCTV reported, citing the Shanghai Meteorological Department.
Earlier in the day, the Shanghai Meteorological Department issued its first high-temperature alert of the year, as temperatures in the city topped 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) for three consecutive days.
Shanghai, China.
This comes after a heatwave swept through China last July, during which residents resorted to bomb shelters and public fountains to stay cool.
In the entire year of 2022, Shanghai recorded 50 days of temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.
The current temperature alert level in Shanghai is yellow, the lowest of the three levels.
The orange alert will come into effect if the maximum temperature exceeds 37 degrees Celsius in 24 hours, and the red alert will mean that temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in the next 24 hours.
This comes amid a series of record high temperatures across Asia; promptly registered in Vietnam, Laos and the capital of Thailand earlier this month. Experts say the heat has been compounded by an intense smog season that has spiked pollution levels.
Scientists have long warned that heat waves will worsen as the effects of the man-made climate crisis accelerate.
The temperature of China’s coastal waters has also risen sharply due to global warming, and sea level rise has also accelerated, Wang Hua, head of the marine forecasting and monitoring department of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, said last month. .
Shanghai, the most developed and wealthy city in the country, is located on the eastern seaboard.
Over the past four decades, sea level rise along the Chinese coast has caused long-term effects, including erosion of coastal ecosystems and loss of tidal flats. It has also affected groundwater supplies and increased damage from storms, floods and salt tide intrusion, Wang said.
