Flooding and landslides have impacted in southern China

Flooding and landslides have impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in southern China. Region experiences its highest rainfall in sixty years.

After parts of southern China were hit by the heaviest downpours in 60 years over the weekend.

according to the authorities, nearly half a million people in the Chinese province of Guangdong have been affected by floods and landslides. This comes after parts of southern China were hit by the heaviest downpours in 60 years.

The flooding that was induced by the torrential rain has resulted in the displacement of 177,600 people. the destruction of 1,729 homes, the damage of 27.13 hectares of cropland. economic damages that exceed $250 million, according to the Guangdong Department of Emergency Management.

According to official media, the record rainfall has caused major landslides and inundated roadways in at least seven different provinces in China.Guangdong is one of those regions. Videos shared on social media indicated that flooding rivers in the southwestern part of the province of Guizhou caused highways to be washed away.along with residences and vehicles.

The downpours come at a time when experts are sounding the alarm that more frequent occurrences of extreme weather are likely.

Local weather bureaus reported on Saturday that precipitation in Guangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian reached its highest level since 1961.

According to Xinhua

these regions recorded an average rainfall of 621 millimetres (24.4 inches) in the 46 day period from May 1 until June 15. This was the highest level of precipitation recorded in these areas since 1961.

According to the data provided by the National Climate Center.

this value represents more than 90 percent of the national average rainfall forecast for 2021. which is predicted to be 672.1 millimetres across the entire year.

According to those who study weather, the conditions are ideal for the occurrence of further intense rainstorms in the southern part of the country and heatwaves in the northern part of the country.

According to Wang Weiyue, an analyst at weather.com.cn, an arm of the China Meteorological Administration, who spoke with Reuters, “cold and warm air has converged over southern China, and the two sides have entered a standoff and a tug of war.”

The southern provinces of Guizhou, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Zhejiang, as well as Guangdong, are expected to see heavy rain until Tuesday, after which the precipitation will migrate northward.

Warning for extremely severe weather

The yearly flood season in China historically begins in June and typically reaches its peak in the most densely inhabited agricultural districts along the Yangtze River and its tributaries. This is because the Yangtze River drains into these areas.

But over the past few years, it has become increasingly severe and hazardous, and specialists have warned that the situation may deteriorate further.

In April, the National Climate Center issued a warning that heavy and torrential rains were likely to hit sections of the country located in the south and southwest, as well as the generally arid desert terrain of southern Tibet.

According to a report that was made public by the National Climate Center in the month of May, China had an annual rainfall average of 672.1 millimetres in 2017, which was 6.7 percent higher than the typical value. The study came to the conclusion that China’s weather anomalies were getting worse, particularly with regard to the severity of thunderstorms that occur during the summer months.

The record rainfall takes place at a time when China is making measures to combat climate change.

A new national climate change plan was announced by the country’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment the previous week. The goal of the policy is to establish resilience against the effects of global warming by the year 2035. The road plan places a greater emphasis not only on the monitoring of climate change and the effects that it has, but also on the development of early warning and risk management systems.

According to the state news agency Xinhua, at least 1.1 million people living in China’s southeastern province of Jiangxi were impacted by floods and downpours between May 28 and June 11, and 223,000 hectares of agricultural lands in the timber and bamboo producing region were damaged.

At least 32 people were killed as heavy rains pounded southern China at the beginning of June. In the province of Hunan, which is known for its rice production, more than 2,700 homes suffered significant damage, and 96,160 hectares of farmland were wiped out.

Warning signalled

During the summer of 2017, 398 people lost their lives as a result of the terrible floods that swept through the central region of Henan province. Twelve passengers were found drowned on a flooded subway line; they were among the deceased. The greatest fatalities were reported in Zhengzhou, the capital of the province, during the rainstorm that the authorities described as occurring “once in a thousand years.”

Since then, state authorities have been on high alert since there have been mounting concerns regarding the degree to which Chinese cities are prepared for harsh weather.