Climate chaos: Nation endures hottest August since 1961, spate of heavy rain

The average temperature in August in China was 22.6 C, or 1.5 C higher than the same period in a typical year, marking the highest for the month since 1961, according to a meteorological official.

Addressing a news conference convened by the China Meteorological Administration on Thursday, Jia Xiaolong, deputy director of the National Climate Center, said during August, the northern regions experienced frequent and severe heavy rainfall while southern regions saw prolonged widespread high temperatures.

Most parts of the Jianghuai and Jiangnan areas, as well as Chongqing and eastern Sichuan province, experienced more than 15 days of high temperatures, he said.