Wind gusts—rapid surges in wind speed occurring within minutes—pose serious risks to aviation, infrastructure, and safety. Yet, changes in extreme wind gusts (EWGs) across China remain unclear. Using ERA5 reanalysis data, we examine long-term trends and variability in summer EWGs across China from 1961 to 2024. Southern China (SC) and northwestern China (NWC) emerge as key hotspots, both exhibiting significant increases in EWG days and frequency over the past six decades. In SC, low-pressure anomalies over the northern South China Sea intensify convective systems and typhoon landfalls, amplifying surface pressure disturbances and EWGs. In NWC, broad low-pressure anomalies from the Middle East to Central Asia enhance surface disturbances and extratropical cyclone genesis, raising EWG frequency. Anomalous mid-latitude Rossby waves are pivotal in both regions: in SC, they shift the western North Pacific subtropical high northward, favoring convection and typhoon impacts; in NWC, they induce low pressure at 850 hPa and high pressure at 500 hPa, strengthening baroclinicity and surface disturbances, thereby driving more frequent EWGs. These findings deepen understanding of wind extremes in China and their drivers, offering valuable implications for regional climate risk assessment and disaster preparedness.

Extreme wind gusts,Long-term trends,China,Summer,1961–2024