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Multiple reports have indicated that Chinese authorities issued a nationwide heat wave warning for the first time in 9 years. Moreover, the country is experiencing below-average rainfall and one of the massive heat waves recorded in the last 9 years. This heat wave alert was issued on Friday and is considered the 3rd highest on the 4-category scale in China.

The current scenario has shown that more than 2 provinces are experiencing a lack of rain and expecting more dry weather. On Friday, the Chinese meteorological agency issued a statement. The agency said at least 244 cities throughout the country could experience an increase in temperature above 104F or 40C. However, more than 405 cities could face a mercury rise to 98F or 37C.

Meteorologists are expecting that the severe heat wave will continue for another week. However, the next 3 days will experience less rain and continuous development in dry weather. The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources also issued a statement on Wednesday. The ministry said at least 830,000 people throughout 6 provinces are experiencing critical water supply shortages and dry weather conditions.

2 Million Acres of Farmland Were Badly Affected in 6 Provinces

At least 300,000 people are facing temporary issues such as accessing drinking water. However, there is a significant number of affected people, but just a segment of the Chinese population of around 1.4 billion. Chinese central and southern provinces are the most affected regions. Some badly affected areas include the Yangtze River such as Sichuan, Hubei, and Jiangsu.

The local officials have also issued advisories to take care of and sustain water supplies for domestic purposes. They also stressed reducing water usage for agriculture, industrial, and commercial purposes. Moreover, the authorities are also looking to produce clouds to generate rain. It is noteworthy that the dry weather condition has affected at least 2 million acres of farmland in 6 provinces.

The Extreme Weather has Decreased River Water Levels

Meanwhile, the extreme heat wave has initiated frustration in the demand for air conditioning in homes and offices. This situation is also putting a significant amount of pressure on the power grids in the country. The dry weather condition has also decreased river water levels. This situation has reduced the amount of electricity production at hydropower plants.

Moreover, Sichuan province has a population of around 84 million people. The province has been critically affected by extreme heat and dry weather conditions since July. Sichuan authorities issued orders on Wednesday for factories to close their facilities for 6 days to manage heat-related power shortages.

The Power Limitation Could Affect Manufacturing Industries

Experts believe that the power-controlled distribution could affect key manufacturing facilities of solar panels and semiconductors. Experts also believe that the power limitation could affect some of the biggest electronics companies such as Foxconn and Intel. They also warned that the extreme heat wave could drag down the 2nd largest economy in the world.

The country is already dealing with the effects of its massive Covid-19 lockdowns and a real estate crisis. However, financial firms Nomura and Goldman Sachs have dropped their forecasts for the GDP growth of China in 2022. Both companies have pointed out that extreme weather conditions and continuous heat waves are significant concerns.