Expert: Heat to linger due to climate change

A climate expert says that climate change may continue to bring environmental and meteorological risks, especially in 2030 or about 2035.

Ding Yihui, a weather and climate scientist, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that for the past five decades, heat waves have been quite a problem in China and it is estimated that in about 10 years, high temperatures will scorch every summer in the country. High temperature refers to days with 35 C or above.

He made the remarks at a recent meeting on climate change organized by the China Meteorological Administration in Chongqing.

"Drought has spread from western areas to the north and east. Before, when we mentioned drought, we were talking about western China. But now, heat waves have influenced eastern areas and caused an increasing number of heavy rainfalls there. Meanwhile, northern areas like the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region suffer from drought," Ding said.

According to the China Meteorological Administration, since flood season began in June, the average temperature nationwide was 14.2 C, 0.9 C higher than the historical average. It was the fourth highest in the same period since 1961. The possibility of temperatures above 35 C will gradually increase in the future.

Heat waves also hit countries worldwide, the administration added. On July 25, the temperature was 42.6 C in Saxony, Germany, shattering the country's record since 1881. Since mid-July, most Central Asia countries baked under high temperatures.

Ding said that it was due to the expansion of tropical areas and changes in the water cycle caused by climate change.

"The subtropical arid zone expands to the mid-high latitudes, resulting in increased risk of drought in northern areas and flood disaster risk in eastern areas," he said.

He added that summer heat waves are just one of the risks of climate change.

Based on the consensus of the scientific community and current meteorological condition, Ding mentioned some other top risks of climate change and extreme climate events, including rapid melting of global and Chinese glaciers, accelerated rise in global sea levels, food safety risks due to reduced global crop yields, and environmental pollution and ecological problems.

He said that China is a firm supporter of the Paris Agreement and will continue to undertake efforts to combat climate change.

"Curbing climate change partially means a low-carbon lifestyle, which is beneficial both for the environment and economy globally.

"Though our country has achieved a good result so far, further efforts are needed. To reduce climate change risks, new technology for clean energy, like solar power, should be adopted nationwide, and our government should improve the ability of extreme weather emergency response," he said.