China experiences record-breaking temperatures in May

China experienced its warmest May on record, according to the China Meteorological Administration. 

The national average temperature for May was 17.7 degrees Celsius, the highest since records began in 1961, said Jia Xiaolong, deputy director of the National Climate Center at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

The average temperature was 1.2 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, with most regions experiencing temperatures close to or above the long-term average. The country is also expected to see a warmer June with increased precipitation in some regions, Jia said.

The country's meteorological authorities predict that temperatures in June in China's capital Beijing and several other regions will be 1 to 2 degrees Celsius higher than average. For most parts of the country, temperatures are expected to be close to or slightly above the long-term average. Areas such as Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, southern Liaoning, Shandong, northern Henan, southeastern Inner Mongolia, western Sichuan, western Yunnan, most of Xizang, and southern Qinghai are expected to experience a temperature increase of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.

Southeastern China, the southern part of Central China, the western part of South China, and the eastern part of the Southwest region are predicted to receive more precipitation in June.

The administration also forecasts the formation of one typhoon in the northwest Pacific and the South China Sea in June.

Jia cautioned that affected areas should prepare to prevent secondary disasters from heavy rainfall. He also noted that northern and central China should brace for droughts and heat waves in June.