Central and southern China is experiencing the worst heatwave and drought since meteorological observations in 1961.
Areas where the maximum temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius are occurring one after another, and water shortages and crop damage are serious.
In particular, power consumption increases during the heat wave, and as the hydroelectric power generation in the Yangtze River (Yangtze) basin is disrupted by drought, power shortages in Sichuan and Chongqing, where automobiles, solar power and semiconductor companies are concentrated, are getting worse.
In the midst of this, Guang'an City in Sichuan Province, China, has taken measures to suspend operations at all stores in the four major commercial districts until midnight on the 24th, following the cessation of production at all factories.
In Gwangan-gu, karaoke rooms, mahjong game rooms, game rooms, and movie theaters are closed for a week.
In addition, places close to residents' lives, such as supermarkets, canteens, fruit shops, and pharmacies, must be closed at 6pm every night.
This is not a lockdown due to corona quarantine measures, but a shutdown measure due to a power shortage.
Guangan, Sichuan Province, recorded the highest temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in all of Sichuan Province.
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Sichuan Province, which relies on hydroelectric power for 80%, has a serious electricity shortage.
This is because the hydroelectric power plant's power generation capacity was reduced by 50% due to the continuous drought.
A six-day shutdown has already been implemented for all industrial facilities.
All over Sichuan Province, air conditioning in shops and offices is also restricted, and electricity use in subways and airports is also regulated.
Even if this is not enough, in some areas, an increasing number of places are stopping the power supply altogether by setting the time for 2-3 hours a day.
Chengdu City, the capital of Sichuan Province, issued a guideline that the temperature of air conditioners should not be lowered below 27 degrees for ordinary households.
In Sichuan, there are factories for automobile manufacturers such as Toyota, Volkswagen and Geely, which have already stopped operations.
When Sichuan automakers are unable to produce parts, Tesla and Shanghai auto factories in Shanghai are also experiencing production disruptions.
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Chongqing, which is adjacent to Sichuan, records the highest temperature in all of China every day, with the highest midday temperature exceeding 45 degrees.
Due to the rapid increase in air conditioner use, power shortages have worsened, and some industrial complexes have been forced to suspend operations altogether.
Semiconductor companies in Chongqing are also being affected.
China's state-run Global Times reported that the power shortage is affecting some of Chongqing's semiconductor companies by regulating production and shutting down some machines.
So far, a power outage of a few days affects businesses, but if it goes on for a long time, it will have a negative impact on semiconductor production.
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The drought in the Yangtze River (the Yangtze River) has the greatest impact on this electricity shortage in the central and southern regions.
The Yangtze River basin spans 19 provinces in China and is said to account for 45% of China's economic output.
Six provinces, including Sichuan and Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui, are particularly affected.
Satellite images of Lake Dongting (Dongjeong Lake) in northern Hunan Province symbolize the worst drought.
The picture above was taken on July 11th and the picture below was taken on August 15th, and the lake area has been reduced by 1/4.
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The problem is that this drought isn't going to go away anytime soon.
China's Meteorological Administration predicts that rainfall in the Yangtze River basin will remain low until the end of August.
Droughts could continue or get worse with little rain.
On the other hand, it is predicted that landslides and flood damage will continue for the time being due to continued heavy rainfall in the upper-middle and upper Yellow River basins.
Central and southern China will suffer from drought and heatwaves, while the northern regions will suffer from heavy rains.
Last year, China suffered a massive power outage.
A drought in southern Guangdong province disrupted hydroelectric power, causing factories to close, and coal shortages in other parts of the country caused blackouts.
For this year, once the hydroelectric power generation capacity of the Yangtze River recovers, there are also forecasts that the impact on China's overall economic growth will be limited, but the problem is that the economic recession is already deep.
In particular, last year, the corona situation in China was not serious, but this year is different.
Earlier this year, the corona situation was not so good that Shenzhen, the center of high-tech and export, and Shanghai, the metropolis, were shut down.
While the government is promoting domestic consumption such as domestic tourism and car purchases, lockdown measures have been taken one after another as the corona spread around famous tourist destinations such as Hainan, Xinjiang and Tibet.
Although deregulation measures are being introduced one after another to prevent the real estate recession, house prices continue to fall, and Chinese people are rather reducing debt and increasing savings.
The five-year cycle of the Chinese Communist Party Congress is the biggest political event in China, set to take place this fall.
In addition to the negative impact on the economy of the real estate recession and the prolonged zero-corona policy, the drought and heatwave for the first time in 61 years are also burdening.
(Photo source: Baidu, Weibo)