China issues a warning about its rapid temperature rise relative to the world average.

According to a government official, China’s average ground temperatures have risen much faster than the global average over the past 70 years and will continue to be ‘significantly higher’ as the effects of climate change worsen.

China’s weather bureau referred to the nation as ‘a sensitive region in global climate change’ in its annual climate assessment, which was published this week. Since 1951, temperatures have increased by 0.26 degrees Celsius (0.47 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade, compared to a global average of 0.15 degrees.

Yuan Jiashuang, vice-director of China’s National Climate Center (NCC), stated at a briefing on Wednesday that the rise in regional average temperatures in China will be much higher than the global average.

He issued a warning that shifting weather patterns in China would impact the balance of water resources, increase the susceptibility of ecosystems, and lower food output.

In recent weeks, extreme weather has wrought havoc, with protracted heatwaves causing droughts and forest fires all around the planet. In other nations, historically high rainfall has also resulted in devastating floods.

Last month, Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, issued a dire warning that ‘no nation is immune’ to climate change and that the world must now decide between ‘collective action or collective suicide.’

China has already had many weeks of extreme weather, with Hebei in the north and southwest Yunnan hitting temperatures of over 44C (111F).

As many as 131 Chinese weather stations have recorded temperatures that equalled or exceeded historical highs, up from 62 for the whole of last year, according to NCC data.

According to China’s 2021 climate assessment, last year’s coastal water levels were the highest since 1980. Along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, active permafrost hit a record high, glacial retreat quickened, and sea ice continued to disappear.

In comparison to the average for the years 2001 to 2020, China’s vegetation cover increased by 7.9 percent in 2021. The evaluation also noted that many plants’ growth seasons are beginning earlier each year.