May temperatures rise across China

China experienced a significantly warmer May this year, a meteorological expert said at a news conference on Wednesday.

"The national average temperature in May was 17.7 C, 1.2 C higher than the same period in a typical year. This marks the highest temperatures for this period since 1961," said Jia Xiaolong, deputy director of the National Climate Center, adding that the majority of the country experienced temperatures either close to or above the usual levels, with certain areas in northeastern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and western Inner Mongolia autonomous region experiencing temperatures exceeding 4 C above their typical levels.

The national average precipitation was 69.4 millimeters, close to the same period of a typical year. Five regions were hit with heavy rainfall across South China in May, Jia said.

Precipitation levels in areas of the central part of Northeast China, eastern Inner Mongolia, eastern and southern Qinghai, central and northeastern Xinjiang, southeastern Sichuan, western Guizhou, Hainan, western and southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and northern Xizang autonomous region were 50 percent to two times above their normal amounts, he said.

However, areas of northern and southern North China; northeastern East China; Central China; Northwest China's Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang; and Southwest China's Xizang, Sichuan and Chongqing experienced rainfall 50 to 80 percent below their normal amounts, he said.