Swathes of northern and central China sweltered this week under record May heat, state media said Tuesday, with temperatures rising well above 40 degrees Celsius in several major cities.

China has endured spates of extreme weather events, from searing heat and drought to downpours and floods, for several summers running.

The country is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, but also a renewable energy powerhouse seeking to cut carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2060.