Chinese authorities have stepped up emergency measures to deal with extreme heat and a crippling drought in the south-west of the country that has forced cities to dim lights and left electric vehicle drivers struggling to recharge cars, reports the Financial Times. A record months-long heatwave, with temperatures reaching a high of 43.4C in Chengdu on Sunday, has emptied rivers and dams in Hubei and Sichuan provinces, which rely on hydropower.
The situation has had a cascading effect on electricity supplies in other parts of the country, just as the economy has been hammered by Beijing’s zero-Covid restrictions and a crisis in the property sector.
Officials in Sichuan have declared the event a “level 1” emergency incident, the highest possible, and at least 50 mobile generators from other provinces have been dispatched to help stabilise the local power supply, the State Grid Corporation of China said.