China has set dozens of October heat records, with 62 weather stations logging their hottest October day on record on October 1. Another 49 stations recorded their warmest October minimum temperatures.

On October 2, Yuanyang in Yunnan province hit 39.4 degrees Celsius, setting a provincial October record. Temperatures above 35 degrees were recorded across Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi.

Meteorologists blamed a strong subtropical high-pressure system for the unseasonable heat. A cold front then brought relief, with temperatures falling 8 to 12 degrees in many areas on October 2.

The autumn hot spell follows an unusually long summer heatwave. China endured a 72-day summer heat spell earlier this year, one of the longest on record.

Climate experts say extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense. The October records add to a year of broken temperature benchmarks across the country.