麻豆淫院

This summer, much of North China has endured widespread temperatures above 35掳C. Even typically cooler, high-latitude summer retreats like Harbin in Northeast China鈥攗sually a refuge from the heat鈥攕aw temperatures soar past 35掳C in late June and July. As climate change accelerates, extreme heat events will become increasingly frequent.

Just two years earlier, in late June 2023, North China sweltered under a searing three-day heat wave that arrived weeks earlier than usual and broke six decades' worth of temperature records. Daily highs soared past 40掳C in some areas, triggering heat-related illnesses, straining the region's power grid, and threatening crops during the growing season. For millions living in this vital agricultural and industrial heartland, the scorching conditions were a stark reminder of the mounting risks posed by climate extremes.

A study in Earth's Future by researchers Kexin Gui and Tianjun Zhou of the Institute of Atmospheric 麻豆淫院ics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has pointed out the dual drivers behind this unprecedented heat: large-scale atmospheric circulation and an unusually strong soil moisture feedback.

Using advanced climate analysis techniques, the team found that while an anomalous high-pressure system accounted for nearly 70% of the heat wave's intensity, the early-season drought and dry soils added another 40%鈥攁mplifying the heat wave's severity far beyond what would have occurred otherwise.

"Dry soils, caused by the lowest rainfall in over four decades, acted like a giant amplifier," explained lead author Gui. "With little moisture left to evaporate, the land surface heated up rapidly, pushing temperatures to extremes rarely seen in North China's early summer."

The study warns that such conditions may become more common under climate change. Model projections suggest that heat waves with the same intensity as the 2023 event could become the new normal by the end of the century. While the influence of soil moisture feedback on extreme heat may weaken in the long term due to projected increases in soil moisture.

"Heat waves of this magnitude put enormous pressure on energy systems, agriculture, and public health," said Dr. Zhou. "Understanding how soil moisture and atmospheric processes interact is crucial for better predicting and mitigating future extreme weather events."

The findings underscore the urgency of climate adaptation strategies in North China, where the increasing heat extremes pose a significant threat to livelihoods and ecosystems.