China warns of a scary summer ahead

Bloomberg cited forecasts by the National Climate Center of China (NCC) showing that flooding in the north and south of the country could be as bad as last summer, when torrential rains killed hundreds of people. network.

China’s cities of one million people are believed to have little time to prepare for extreme weather. More than 27,000 people in 22 counties in Guangxi province were affected by heavy rains in mid-May this year. As a result, more than 2,300 hectares of crops were damaged, causing damage of 104 million yuan ($15.5 million).

In Guangdong, another southern province of China, many cities were forced to close kindergartens, primary schools and high schools due to torrential downpours.

Flooding in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province on July 21, 2021. Photo: Reuters

Flooding occurs frequently in China in summer, especially in low-lying areas along the Yangtze River and its tributaries. Hurricanes strengthen as the Earth warms, leading to more extreme weather.

According to the NCC, this year’s flooding is expected to be “relatively worse and more severe” than the historical average.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development together with China’s National Development and Reform Commission said in a separate report that cities must stay alert and recognize the growing danger posed by climate change. climate causes extreme weather events.

Last year, floods in central China’s Henan province killed 398 people. At least 12 of them were trapped in a subway station in Zhengzhou city when water flooded the tunnels.

A report by research organization Swiss Re Institute (Switzerland) indicates that China will suffer the world’s second-worst flood damage in 2021 with about $25 billion.

At their annual meeting in March this year, Chinese parliamentarians asked cities to improve weather monitoring and warning systems and upgrade infrastructure to combat flooding.

Not only China, many cities around the world are also looking for ways to protect people and infrastructure from increasingly unpredictable and dangerous weather. South Asia, for example, is experiencing a record-breaking heatwave leaving millions of people vulnerable. In the US, high temperatures in Texas are straining the power grid, while wildfires raging in Southern California.