Fri Jan 03 06:11:51 UTC 2025: ## China’s Scorching 2024: Hottest Year on Record Fuels Climate Change Concerns
**Beijing, January 3, 2025** – China experienced its hottest year on record in 2024, with an average national temperature of 10.92°C (51.66°F), surpassing the previous record set in 1961, according to the China Meteorological Administration. This marks the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking heat in the country, the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gases. The extreme heat resulted in devastating consequences, including deadly floods, the collapse of a highway, and record-breaking long summers in some regions, impacting traditional winter activities and causing significant economic losses.
The unusually warm weather is consistent with global trends. 2024 was also declared the hottest year globally by the United Nations, with other countries like India, Australia, and Germany reporting record-high temperatures. The Czech Republic even saw its hottest year since 1775. These extreme temperatures are attributed to global warming, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, leading to more intense rainfall, storms, and droughts.
The economic impact of these extreme weather events was substantial. Swiss Re, a Zurich-based insurance giant, reported that natural disasters caused $310 billion in economic losses worldwide in 2024. While some Chinese citizens expressed optimism about the government’s environmental efforts, others, like Xu Yici, lamented the loss of traditional winter activities due to the lack of ice.
Despite China’s pledge under the 2015 Paris Agreement to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, the record-breaking heat serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of addressing climate change. The World Meteorological Organization noted that the January-September average surface air temperature in 2024 was 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average, highlighting the significant global challenge posed by rising temperatures.
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