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<p>Heatwaves represent one of the most destructive manifestations of climate change, exerting profound impacts on ecosystems, human health, and socioeconomic systems. Using daily observations of temperature and relative humidity from 178 meteorological stations across the Sichuan–Chongqing region (SCR) in Southwest China, combined with ERA5 reanalysis data, this study employed a comprehensive Heat Index (HI) to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of heatwaves during the summer of 2024. A focused attribution analysis was conducted for the most intense and persistent episode occurring from 21 to 31 August. The results indicate that heatwaves occurred on nearly all summer days, with both intensity and spatial extent exhibiting statistically significant upward trends. A pronounced “basin–plateau” gradient was identified, with the strongest impacts concentrated in the eastern Sichuan Basin and progressively weakening toward the western plateau. August was dominated by severe events, culminating in an unprecedented and long-lasting heatwave in late August. Attribution analysis reveals that the exceptional persistence of this event was primarily driven by the quasi-stationary intensification and westward expansion of the Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH), which induced pronounced mid-level subsidence and atmospheric divergence. In conjunction with weak horizontal ventilation and regional precipitation deficits, this circulation pattern suppressed convection and enhanced surface sensible heating. The enclosed basin topography further amplified thermal sequestration, producing a “vertically stacked stagnation” regime that sustained extreme heat conditions. Overall, these findings underscore the critical role of dynamic–thermodynamic coupling and terrain confinement in governing long-duration heatwaves, providing robust scientific evidence and strategic insight for managing extreme heat risks in southwestern China under ongoing climate warming.</p>

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Characteristics and Causal Drivers of the Summer 2024 Heatwaves in the Sichuan–Chongqing Region, Southwest China

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月12日

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  • Xiehui Li,
  • Xuejia Wang,
  • Lei Wang

摘要

Heatwaves represent one of the most destructive manifestations of climate change, exerting profound impacts on ecosystems, human health, and socioeconomic systems. Using daily observations of temperature and relative humidity from 178 meteorological stations across the Sichuan–Chongqing region (SCR) in Southwest China, combined with ERA5 reanalysis data, this study employed a comprehensive Heat Index (HI) to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of heatwaves during the summer of 2024. A focused attribution analysis was conducted for the most intense and persistent episode occurring from 21 to 31 August. The results indicate that heatwaves occurred on nearly all summer days, with both intensity and spatial extent exhibiting statistically significant upward trends. A pronounced “basin–plateau” gradient was identified, with the strongest impacts concentrated in the eastern Sichuan Basin and progressively weakening toward the western plateau. August was dominated by severe events, culminating in an unprecedented and long-lasting heatwave in late August. Attribution analysis reveals that the exceptional persistence of this event was primarily driven by the quasi-stationary intensification and westward expansion of the Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH), which induced pronounced mid-level subsidence and atmospheric divergence. In conjunction with weak horizontal ventilation and regional precipitation deficits, this circulation pattern suppressed convection and enhanced surface sensible heating. The enclosed basin topography further amplified thermal sequestration, producing a “vertically stacked stagnation” regime that sustained extreme heat conditions. Overall, these findings underscore the critical role of dynamic–thermodynamic coupling and terrain confinement in governing long-duration heatwaves, providing robust scientific evidence and strategic insight for managing extreme heat risks in southwestern China under ongoing climate warming.