Heat waves and drought cause power cuts in China

Some 1,500 people have been forced to evacuate due to brush fires in China, as the region goes through record heat and drought. 

Around 5,000 civilian and military personnel have been mobilized to put out the blazes, said Xinhua News Agency on Monday. Helicopters had been deployed to pour water over the fires, in addition to ground crew. 

Massive power cuts 

Multiple provinces have announced power cuts, while Shanghai has switched off decorative lights at its Bund riverfront for two days starting Monday, as a nationwide heatwave has caused a surge in demand for power.

Ornamental lights, billboards and video screens on both sides of the Huangpu River have also been turned off for Monday and Tuesday. 

The high demand is partly driven by people using air conditioning to cope with the rising mercury, which has gone as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). 

China has been hit by heat waves, flash floods and droughts this summer. Scientists have warned these extreme weather events could get more frequent due to climate change. 

Official data says the heatwave has reduced stretches of the Yangtze River to unprecedented drought levels. This has increased pressure on hydroelectric power plants, which supply energy to key economic zones of the country. 

Other provinces which use coal power to generate electricity haven't been affected as much.  

The southwestern city Chongqing said its malls will operate only between 4:00pm and 9:00pm to cut power consumption, said state channel CCTV.  

"Since July this year, the province has faced the most extreme high temperatures, the lowest rainfall in the corresponding period in history... (and) the highest power load in history," local authorities in Sichuan province said. 

Many major factories in the region with 94 million population had imposed power cuts, which have been extended till Thursday. 

Some of the world's biggest automakers — including Toyota and Tesla — operate factories in Sichuan. It is also home to parts manufacturers that are crucial to global auto supply chains. 

tg/jcg (AP, Reuters)