Hangzhou, home to major companies like Alibaba, has banned nonessential landscape lighting to conserve energy amid extreme heat. With temperatures exceeding 40°C since August 2, the city's demand for electricity has surged. Authorities have also suspended light shows in the city of 12.5 million people. Similar heat waves have hit nearby Shanghai, where power grid demand reached record highs. Despite La Nina's cooling effects, global warming has exacerbated 2024's record heat. High temperatures are expected to persist in eastern China until August 11, causing fatalities in nearby countries.
