Record-Breaking Extreme Weather Highlights World's Largest Polluter

In 2023, China experienced its hottest year on record, with state media reporting a series of relentless heat waves and other extreme weather events. Daily and monthly temperature records were repeatedly broken as the country faced earlier, more widespread, and extreme heat waves compared to previous years. This was a result of the human-caused climate crisis.

China experienced record-breaking warmth in 2023, in line with global trends. Scientists have confirmed that last year was the hottest on record, attributing this to the combination of El Niño and climate change. According to the National Climate Center, the average temperature in China in 2023 was 10.7 degrees Celsius, marking the highest recorded since data collection began in 1961, as reported by state-run news agency Xinhua.

It breaks the previous record of 10.5°C set in 2021.

Across the country, 127 weather stations recorded their highest ever daily temperatures, state-run newspaper China Daily reported.

A person paddles a canoe down a street flooded by recent rain storms in Montpelier, Vermont, U.S., July 11, 2023.

Brian Snyder/Reuters

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The highest temperature recorded was 52.2°C on July 16 in Turpan's Sanpu town, located in the western Xinjiang region. The relentless heatwave impacted hundreds of millions of people and placed a significant burden on the country's power grid. In response to the soaring demand for electricity, China Energy Investment Corporation, a major coal-fired power generator, stated that it had reached a new daily production record in July.

Farm animals such as pigs, rabbits, and fish are reported to have died from extreme temperatures in central China. Heavy rainfall has also caused flooding in wheat fields, raising concerns about food security in the world's second-largest economy. Similarly, 2023 saw deadly heat waves and record temperatures across several continents, along with unprecedented ocean heat covering much of the globe.

Extreme highs and lows

The analysis from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service has revealed that the global temperature in 2023 is projected to be over 1.4 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels. This is dangerously close to the 1.5-degree threshold set in the Paris climate agreement, beyond which scientists warn that humans and ecosystems will face significant challenges in adapting.

China experienced its lowest temperature ever recorded on January 22nd last year, when Jintao town in Mohe, northeastern Heilongjiang province dropped to -53°C. Additionally, Beijing had its longest cold wave in December since record-keeping began in 1951, pushing heating capacity in northern cities to its limit.

China experienced some of the most severe rainfall in decades, causing devastating flooding and resulting in billions of dollars worth of damage. According to the National Climate Center, 55 national weather stations reported their highest daily rainfall in 2023.

On July 28, Typhoon Doksuri hit southeastern Fujian province, causing heavy rains in Hebei and the nearby cities of Beijing and Tianjin. The resulting flooding led to approximately 30 fatalities, displaced over 1 million people, and caused significant damage to homes, infrastructure, and roads, as reported by Chinese authorities.

The recent storm in Beijing resulted in the heaviest rainfall in 140 years, posing a significant challenge to the region's ability to cope with increasingly frequent extreme weather events attributed to climate change.

A worker cleans solar panels at a new energy base in China.

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The evidence is clear: the climate crisis is leading to an increase in extreme weather events like heat waves, storms, and heavy rainfall. These events will only become more frequent and severe as the planet continues to warm due to increased fossil fuel consumption by humans.

China is responsible for almost 30% of global emissions and drives over half of the global demand for coal, making it the largest polluter in the world, according to the International Energy Agency. The World Bank has warned that unless China effectively reduces its emissions and shifts to clean energy, the global community will struggle to meet its climate targets.

China has been increasing its sustainable energy production and is on pace to double its wind and solar energy capacity, reaching its 2030 clean energy goals by 2025, according to a report released in June. In November, China, along with the United States, committed to significantly increasing renewable energy to combat greenhouse gas emissions.

China's significant role in climate negotiations was evident at the COP28 summit in Dubai in December, where there was an unprecedented call to transition away from fossil fuels. Despite this, China did not officially sign an agreement to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, as reported by Carbon Brief.

CNNs Rachel Ramirez and Nectar Gan contributed reporting.