Power grids battered by extreme heatwaves in China

BEIJING: Southern and eastern China are experiencing more extreme heatwaves, causing power grids to be under strain as demand for air-conditioning soars in mega-cities like Shanghai.

In the next three days, most of southern China is predicted to be hit by temperatures of more than 35 degrees Celsius, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, according to national forecasters. On Monday, Shanghai endured its hottest May day in more than 100 years. The south sweltered in blistering heat, testing power grids as demand for air-conditioning surged among home, commercial and industrial users.

I'm not surprised that they are happening, and I'm not surprised that they are worse. But how they are occurring - it's just been week on week on week of these records being shattered. Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales, said there is a need for climate change scientists to work more closely together. It's just relentless.