In just two months, and we could go much further back in time, the following news has been released: a DANA in Valencia generates the biggest catastrophe so far this century in Spain, Andalusia and Catalonia, winning the game in the coffee belt , Antarctica becomes more green than white and the houses on the beach begin to lose their value. The common denominator is an old acquaintance who is now doing his thing in China, where a big city can’t get rid of the summer.
The endless summer. Guangzhou, one of the largest cities in China with almost 19 million inhabitants, is going through an unusual summer that seems to have no end. Despite being in November, the city is still officially in the summer season, as temperatures have not dropped enough to mark the beginning of autumn. This phenomenon has led to breaking a historical record for the length of summer, a fact that only highlights the tangible impact of climate change in the region.
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235 days of summer. In 2024, Guangzhou has reached a total of 235 days of summer, surpassing the previous record of 234 days recorded in 1994. Officially, the summer period began on March 23 and, according to weather forecasts, will continue at least until November 18 .
This phenomenon is defined, not by the calendar, but by the temperatures: autumn is only declared when the average temperature for five consecutive days falls below 22 °C. The problem: the current temperature in Guangzhou is 24.9 °C, which represents an increase of 1.2 °C over historical averages.
Anticyclone and global warming. The main suspect behind this exceptionally long summer is none other than the weakness of the Siberian anticyclone, a vast mass of cold air that regulates weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, the effect has been abnormally weak, reducing the arrival of cold winds in the Guangzhou region.
The phenomenon, in turn, is linked to another old acquaintance: global warming, which alters traditional climate patterns, intensifying temperatures and prolonging warm seasons.
Extreme events and more. It is starting to be normal, according to experts. And the province of Guangdong, where Guangzhou is located, has been the scene of several extreme weather phenomena in recent years. In April, the city was hit by a tornado that caused at least five deaths and left dozens injured. Additionally, the region has faced severe flooding, evidencing its vulnerability to extreme weather.
Not only that. Rising temperatures have also put significant pressure on energy infrastructure. The Guardian reported that in 2022, a prolonged heat wave led to record use of air conditioning systems, causing major blackouts due to overloaded power grids. Again, challenges that underscore the need to strengthen infrastructure to adapt to an increasingly extreme climate.
The Chinese “transition.” The situation leads to the big question: what is happening with the energy transition in China? The nation has made significant progress in installing renewable energy, leading globally in the development of solar and wind infrastructure. However, concerns about energy security have slowed the country’s transition to cleaner energy sources.
Plus: dependence on coal, although less desired, remains a priority to guarantee energy supply in the face of growing demands, especially in cities like Guangzhou.
Elephant in the room. There is no doubt, the case of Guangzhou reflects a much larger pattern widely discussed here: climate change, driven by the hand of man, is intensifying extreme phenomena across the planet. What’s more, recent studies confirm that many disasters, such as heat waves, droughts and floods, would be unlikely or even impossible without global warming. This phenomenon not only affects daily life, but also tests the resilience of cities and their infrastructure.
In short, the prolonged summer that the Asian city is experiencing is by no means an isolated event, but rather a clear manifestation, yet another, of the impact of climate change on seasonal cycles and the daily lives of millions of people. A phenomenon that underlines the urgency of taking global measures to mitigate warming and adapt to a future where this and many other extreme events that are taking place will become increasingly frequent and devastating.
Imagen | Sergey Gussev
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