Weather tracker: South-east China swelters in summer-like heat | China

While northern parts of China experienced the first cold weather of autumn due to heavy rains this week, large areas further south continued to be sweltered by the summer heat. Temperatures in southeast China have risen steadily since late September under the influence of above-average pressure in the northeast, reaching mid-to-high 30C during a period when conditions would normally cool from 30C to the mid-20s. Temperatures inland approached 40°C (104F); Xiushui in Jiangxi province recorded 38.9°C on Wednesday; About 13°C above average in early October.

Night temperatures continued. Rising temperatures in Hong Kong on Wednesday took October’s number of “very hot days” – defined by temperatures remaining above 28C throughout the day – to four, the highest number ever recorded for the month. Models suggest that the unusual warmth in southeast China will last another eight to 10 days before colder air arrives from the north.

In northern China, a much colder air mass collided with the heat, causing persistent and heavy rain. Beijing experienced continuous rainfall for at least 36 hours as of Thursday afternoon; The citywide averaged 68.8 mm (2.71 inches) of rainfall, and a Daxing district station recorded 140.4 mm of rainfall since Wednesday. Constant rain kept temperatures unusually low; Thursday was Beijing’s coldest early October day since 1951; the maximum temperature was only 10.6 degrees; It was about 10-15 degrees below average.

China has experienced many extreme rainfall events this year; This increase can be associated with the warming of the global climate. Every 1 degree increase in global temperature causes the atmosphere to hold 7% more moisture.

Meanwhile, typhoon activity continues in the Pacific. Tropical Storm Nakri, which formed on Wednesday, has been moving towards Japan from the northeast for the past few days. However, it is expected to head east, following a similar path to Typhoon Halong, which is currently heading towards the North Pacific.

Nakri is expected to reach typhoon strength with winds of up to 169 km/h this weekend, moving parallel to the southern coast of Japan, before becoming extratropical by moving into an area of ​​increased vertical wind shear. While Japan’s mainland should avoid the worst of the storm, the Izu Islands south of Tokyo are likely to face strong winds and heavy rain again; This adds to Halong’s damage, blowing off roofs, downing power lines and blocking roads.