Chinese report warns of intensifying warming and increasing extreme events

China on Thursday released the Blue Book on Climate Change in China (2026), presenting updated monitoring and assessment results showing that the global warming trend continues to intensify, with oceans warming more rapidly and sea levels reaching new highs.

Compiled by the China Meteorological Administration's National Climate Center, the annual report said 2025 was among the warmest years on record, with the global mean surface temperature standing about 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The period from 2015 to 2025 also marked the warmest 11-year span since modern observations began.

The report noted that China is both highly sensitive to and significantly affected by climate change, with the country's warming rate exceeding the global average. From 1961 to 2025, China's annual mean temperature rose by about 0.31 degrees Celsius per decade. In 2025, the country's average temperature was around 1.0 degrees Celsius above the 1991–2020 average, making it one of the warmest years since 1901, with several regions recording new local highs.

According to the Blue Book on Climate Change in China (2026), China's average annual precipitation showed an overall increase, while the number of precipitation days declined. The report also highlighted increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events, including heatwaves and heavy rainfall.

The report further stated that global ocean heat content in the upper 2,000 meters reached a new record in 2025, while global mean sea level rose to its highest level since satellite observations began. It also pointed to continued glacier retreat and shrinking Arctic sea ice extent, alongside persistently low Antarctic sea ice levels in recent years.