Weather agency says China experienced hottest year on record in 2024

In the last four years, China has logged its four warmest years since comparable temperature recordings began in 1961.

China experienced its warmest year on record in 2024, a new high since comparable temperature recordings began more than 60 years ago, the country’s meteorological service has said.

The average national temperature for 2024 was 10.92 degrees Celsius (51.66 degrees Fahrenheit), 1.03 degrees higher than 2023 and “the warmest year since the start of full records in 1961”, the China Meteorological Administration said on its news site on Wednesday night.

“The top four warmest years ever were the past four years, with all top ten warmest years since 1961 occurring in the 21st century,” the administration said.

Densely populated Shanghai, China’s financial hub, recorded its warmest year in 2024 since meteorological records for the city began in 1873, data from the Shanghai meteorological bureau showed. The city’s average temperature stood at 18.8C (65.8F).

China had already logged its hottest month in the history of observations in July last year, as well as the hottest August and the warmest autumn recorded.