For the first time since 2014, the temperature in Beijing soared above 40 degrees. The 22nd of June set a new record for the warmest day in June with a temperature of 41 degrees Celsius. The return of heatwaves in northern China has prompted the Chinese capital to issue a warning for sweltering temperatures over the weekend.

According to the official Beijing Daily, a meteorological station in Beijing’s southern suburbs—regarded as the city’s primary thermometer—recorded 41.1 degrees Celsius at 3:19 p.m. local time. The previous June record was set on June 10, 1961, when the temperature reached 40.6 °C.

Beijing has issued an orange alert. The orange alert is the second most severe weather warning and indicates that temperatures can reach 39 degrees Celsius. The heatwaves also spurred officials to speed up their efforts to protect crops and assure visitor safety. During the warmest portion of the day, outdoor labor was also suspended.

According to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC), 17 meteorological stations nationwide “recorded record high-temperature extremes” on Thursday. It has never before gotten this hot in June, but it’s currently so scorching that my hands are trembling, according to social media users.

Why Is The Temperature Rising?

According to scientists, rising global temperatures are mostly due to fossil fuel use. Extreme weather events are irritating everywhere, and recently, record temperatures and catastrophic heat waves have hit numerous Asian nations.

In the next five years, the rise in global temperatures will likely be fueled by heat-trapping greenhouse gases, reaching historic highs. The occurrence of El Nino will be a significant factor in the rise in global temperatures.

As per the research by an international team of climate experts, human-induced climate change increased the likelihood of the April 2023 heat wave affecting Bangladesh and India by 30 times. In their analysis, which also examined the recent heat wave that affected portions of Thailand and Laos, it was concluded that without climate change, the heat wave would not have been possible in these nations.

This month, global temperatures increased to record-high levels, a worrying development in the climate issue as an impending El Nio has the potential to make 2023 the hottest year on record. Global average temperatures for June as of now are around 1C (1.8F) higher than averages for the same month dating back to 1979.

Also Read: EU’s Heatwave Alert: June Sets New Global Temperature Record