North China posts longest rainy season since 1961, country faces hottest summer

9/9/2025 19:01

China faced its hottest summer since 1961 while the country's north experienced its longest rainy season for the same period, the national weather authority said on Tuesday, atmospheric chaos scientists have linked to climate change.



The summer 'Plum Rains' - named for their timing coinciding with plums ripening along China's Yangtze River during the East Asia Monsoon - began one week earlier than usual, Huang Zhou, deputy director of the China Meteorological Administration, told a news conference.



Meanwhile, large swathes of the country experienced extreme heat, with a total of 13.7 high-temperature days, 5.7 days above the average for the same June to August period, Huang added.



The national average temperature was 22.3 degrees Celsius (72.14 degrees Fahrenheit), 1.1 C above normal and tied with 2024 as the highest since 1961, he said.