China races to alleviate drought, power cuts in record heat

China is scrambling to alleviate power shortages and bring more water to the drought-hit basin of the Yangtze River as it battles a record-breaking heat wave with relief funds, seeding clouds and developing new supply sources.

For more than two months, baking temperatures have disrupted crop growth, tormented livestock and forced industries in the hydropower-dependent regions of the southwest to shut down so as to ensure electricity supplies for homes.

China has repeatedly warned of extreme weather events in coming years as it tries to adapt to climate change and rises in temperature.

Today’s extreme heat is likely to stem from a “special case” of high pressure from a West Pacific subtropical high extending over much of Asia, said Cai Wenju, a researcher with Australia’s national scientific research institute, CSIRO.

On Wednesday, China’s southwestern province of Sichuan said it would ration power supplies to homes, offices and shopping malls, after ordering energy-intensive metals and fertiliser producers to curb operations.

In what appears to be an official call to cut back use of electricity, government offices were asked to set air conditioners no lower than 26ºC and use stairs rather than lifts, reports the Sichuan Daily. Fountains, light shows and commercial activities after dark are to be suspended, it said.

Several companies in the Chongqing region bordering Sichuan will suspend production.

Chinese vice-premier Han Zheng visited the State Grid Corporation on Wednesday and said more must be done to ensure power supply for residents and key industries and to avert power cuts.

China should speed up building of key projects, improve power load management and promote the joint operation of coal power and renewable energy, said Han.

Hydropower makes up about 80% of Sichuan’s power capacity, but dwindling water flows on the Yangtze and its tributaries led to a struggle to meet mounting demand for air conditioning as temperatures soared to 40°C and beyond.

Average rainfall in Sichuan is 51% less than in previous years, according to state news agency Xinhua. Some reservoirs dried up after inflow from big rivers more than halved, it said.

Drought in the Yangtze river basin also adversely affected drinking water for rural people and livestock, as well as the growth of crops, the water resources ministry said. It urged drought-hit regions to make plans to maintain water supply with steps such as temporary water transfer, the development of new sources and the extension of pipe networks.

To boost downstream supplies, China’s biggest hydropower project, the Three Gorges dam, will step up water discharges by 500-million cubic metres over the next 10 days, it said on Tuesday. Water flows there this week were about half those of a year ago.

Some livestock from drought-hit areas were temporarily moved away, the finance ministry said this week, promising disaster relief of 300-million yuan ($44.30m).

On Wednesday, the central province of Hubei became the latest to induce  rain with aircraft firing silver iodide into the clouds. Other Yangtze regions  launched cloud-seeding programmes.

China’s heat wave has run for 65 days, making it the longest since full records began in 1961, state media reported the National Climate Centre as saying. Up to 262 weather stations recorded temperatures of 40°C and above, also the highest such tally. Eight have had 44°C.

The centre forecast that high temperatures will persist until August 26 in the Sichuan basin and large parts of central China.

Reuters