China’s national average temperature hit 10.9°C in 2025, matching 2024 as the warmest year on record since 1961. The China Meteorological Administration said 2025 also produced the most days with temperatures at or above 35°C and that nationwide precipitation was 4.5% above normal. Northern China saw record rain amounts and duration, while western China experienced its heaviest autumn rains, heightening flood and disaster risks.
China Records Most Days Over 35°C as 2025 Ties Warmest Year Since 1961
A child rinses her face with water from the fountain to cool off amid a red alert for heat in Chongqing, China, July 31, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
HONG KONG, Jan 29 (Reuters) - China’s national average annual temperature reached 10.9°C (51.6°F) in 2025, tying the record set in 2024 and producing the highest number of high-temperature days on record, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said on Thursday.
Key Findings From the 2025 Climate Bulletin
The CMA released the findings at a press briefing when it published its 2025 climate bulletin. The administration noted that last year’s nationwide average temperature of 10.9°C is the highest since national records began in 1961 and matches the 2024 figure.
The World Meteorological Organization added in January that 2025 ranked among the three warmest years on record globally.
Heat and Rainfall Patterns
China recorded the largest number of high-temperature days — defined by the CMA as days with temperatures at or above 35°C — with prolonged heat spells particularly severe from late June through early September across central and eastern regions. At the same time, national average precipitation was 4.5% above normal.
Regional extremes included record amounts and duration of rain in northern China and the heaviest autumn rains on record in western China, the bulletin said. The combination of intensified heat and heavy precipitation has raised the risk of flooding and other climate-related disasters.
Implications
Officials and experts say the trends underline the growing impacts of climate change on China’s weather patterns — with more frequent and severe heatwaves and heavier, more persistent rainfall in some regions. That increases pressure on disaster preparedness, infrastructure resilience and water management systems.
(Reporting by Farah Master and the Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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