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.
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.
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