(Yicai) June 13 -- Parts of China's northern Henan, Shandong, and Hebei provinces have reported temperatures nearing or breaking record highs of 43 degrees Celsius or higher this month.

This heatwave is characterized by high ground temperatures and prolonged duration, with surface temperatures in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong provinces exceeding 60°C in the afternoon and over 70°C in some areas, according to Weather China. The extreme heat can go on for several straight days and last more than 10 hours per day.

"Global warming and the abnormal atmospheric circulation are direct factors leading to high temperatures," People's Daily Online reported, citing Zheng Zhihai, chief forecaster at the National Climate Center. This is also the cause of the hot weather in China, Zheng added.

The average temperature in China this spring reached 12.3°C, up 1.4°C from previous years and hitting the highest on record since 1961, according to data by CNN.

Editor: Martin Kadiev