China’s record-breaking heatwave hits power supplies and threatens agriculture

Chongqing in the southwest has been especially badly hit, with residents reporting cuts to water and power supplies after a mountain fire

The authorities are taking emergency measures to protect livestock, but experts warn that damage to crops and water scarcity could affect other sectors

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People walk along the dry riverbed of the Jialing River, a tributary of the Yangtze, in Chongqing. Photo: AP

Published: 6:16pm, 24 Aug 2022

Extreme heat caused havoc in China on Wednesday despite lower temperatures in some regions.

Local authorities across the Yangtze River basin were left scrambling to limit the damage to power supplies, crops and livestock.

China’s heatwave, stretching past 70 days, is its longest and most widespread on record, with around 30 per cent of the 600 weather stations along the Yangtze recording their highest temperatures ever by last Friday.

The southwestern city of Chongqing has been hit especially hard, with one resident, Zhang Ronghai, saying that both his water and his power had been cut after a four-day mountain fire in the district of Jiangjin.

“People need to go to a power centre over 10km (6 miles) away to charge their phones,” Zhang said.

On Wednesday, images shared on China’s Twitter-like Weibo service showed residents and volunteers in Chongqing and Sichuan struggling and even passing out in intense heat during mandatory Covid-19 tests.

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