China reports warmest autumn since records began

BEIJING - China reported its warmest autumn in 2024 since records began decades ago, its National Climate Centre announced on Dec 4.

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China is the leading emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists say are driving global climate change and making extreme weather events more frequent.

Beijing has pledged to bring planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions to a peak by 2030 and to net zero by 2060.

"During this year's autumn season (Sept 1 to Nov 30), the national average temperature was 11.8 deg C, 1.5 deg C higher than the average year, the highest ever since 1961," the centre announced on its social media account.

China in 2024 has already logged its hottest July since records began - which was also the hottest month in the history of observation.

August, too, was the warmest ever recorded, capping a summer of extreme weather conditions, from searing heat waves to torrential rainfall.