Weather & Science

China’s Scorching Heat Poses Summer Test for Electricity Grid

A woman wearing sun protective clothing in Beijing on June 23.Photographer: Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images

A sizzling start to July is on the cards for China, where nationwide temperatures are poised to climb almost 3C above historical averages in the first week of the month.

That’ll pile pressure on electricity supplies as people crank up their air conditioners, demand for which has nearly doubled in the past decade.