Another 393 Chinese cities and counties are expected to smolder in temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and above, the government added.
Temperatures in China have been rising faster than the global average, and the recent heatwave has raised new concerns about the pace of global warming.
The latest heatwave, defined as periods of atypically hot weather lasting three days or more, is the second this month. Average daily temperatures are the highest since 1961, and on Sunday 13 national weather stations in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces met or exceeded local temperature records.
National Meteorological Center chief researcher Fu Jiaolan said the latest heatwave is expected to be similar to one that lasted nearly two weeks from July 5 to 17, according to state media. But this storm is likely to affect more people as temperatures in more regions are expected to rise to “red alert” levels.
China operates a four-tier weather alert system, with red alerts indicating temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or higher, orange for 35 degrees Celsius or higher, followed by amber and blue.
As of Monday, 67 cities had issued a red alert. In Guangzhou, the local weather bureau expects the hot weather to last 23 days, which would be the southern Chinese city’s longest heatwave since 1951.
Chen Chunyan, chief expert at the Xinjiang Meteorological Observatory, told state media on Sunday that the long duration of this heatwave has accelerated the melting of glaciers in mountain ranges bordering the region.
“Persistent high temperatures have accelerated the melting of glaciers in mountainous areas, causing natural disasters such as flash floods, mudslides and landslides in many places,” Chen said. This unusual weather is not limited to Xinjiang, which has a large desert region and is used to hot temperatures. Severe flooding and landslides have killed dozens and displaced millions in southern China since May.
Coupled with the heat waves, the extreme weather could have a significant economic impact on China.
Floods, droughts and tropical cyclones are estimated to cost China about $238 billion annually, according to a report released last year by the World Meteorological Organization.
And Chen said if the heatwave continues in Xinjiang, it could also hurt cotton production, an additional blow to China’s economy as it continues to grapple with a pandemic-related slowdown.
China is the second largest cotton producer in the world and 85% of cotton produced in China comes from Xinjiang.
CNN’s Nectar Gan and Yong Xiong contributed coverage.