North China is sweltering under a prolonged heatwave with the mercury often hitting the 40-degree-Celsius mark. Set to persist until the end of July, this heatwave, however, is not the worst that the country has experienced in recent years. From June through the end of August in 2022, China had its most severe heatwave since record keeping started in 1961.

China is not the only country tormented by sustained periods of searing summer heat. The combined effects of greenhouse gas emissions and other human activities, and El Niño, a natural climate pattern caused by fluctuations in ocean surface temperatures, have contributed to the frequency and severity of extreme weather events across the globe.

In the face of these heatwaves, which are likely to linger on and even worsen in the coming years, the entire global community should work in tandem to hold back, if not terminate, the accelerating process of global warming. China, for instance, has signed 45 agreements with 38 other developing countries to fight climate change. These agreements will facilitate not only the construction of demonstration zones but also the circulation of technical and financial expertise within the Global South.

(ce.cn, June 27)