BEIJING, May 15 Reuters Major Chinese cities have issued heat advisories, with Beijing expected to swelter in 36 Celsius 97 Fahrenheit temperatures on Monday, as China braces for recordbreaking heat that could threaten electricity supply, crops and a fragile economy.

China has suffered from heat waves in several regions since March. Yunnan province in the southwest, which is known for its mild weather, recently suffered temperatures of more than 40 Celsius, putting a huge burden on the power grid as millions of homes switched on air conditioners.

The eastern province Shandong and the capital Beijing have issued heat warnings while Jinan and Tianjin in the north and centrally located Zhengzhou, are expected to see temperatures soar to as high as 37C.

The heat waves are occurring ahead of the regular summer season, which is particularly worrying for agriculture.

Crop damage could drive up food prices, exacerbate inflation and put pressure on China39;s economy as it tries to rebound from a threeyear zeroCOVID policy that stunted growth.

Yunnan had only 35 millimetres of rain for the year to April 20, state broadcaster CCTV reported recently with rainfall in the provincial capital of Kunming less than 8 mm, the lowest since records began.

The heat could again put pressure on water reserves. Last year, a twomonth stretch of recordbreaking temperatures caused major rivers and waterways to dry up, severely impacting the Yangtze River.

The government39;s National Fire and…