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What’s Causing Record Floods and Heatwaves in China?

#Whats #Causing #Record #Floods #Heatwaves #China

Record-breaking floods in southern China this month have displaced more than half a million people, while searing heat has dented roads elsewhere in the country.

Authorities have issued extreme weather warnings in several regions, while experts warned that these phenomena are further evidence of the effects of climate change.

– How bad are the floods? –

Summer floods are common in China, particularly in the low-lying Pearl River Delta region of the south.

This year, however, the National Climate Center is forecasting that the flooding will be “relatively worse” and “more extreme” than before.

Water levels at one location in Guangdong province “surpassed historical records this week,” according to the Ministry of Water Resources, while parts of neighboring Fujian province and the Guangxi region also reported record rainfall.

More than half a million people were evacuated this month because of the risk of flooding.

In the cities of Guangzhou and Shaoguan in Guangdong province, heavy rains turned roads into rivers and people had to be taken to safety in lifeboats.

Provincial authorities estimated the economic damage from the floods at more than a quarter billion dollars.

– What about the heat wave? –

Seven provinces in north and central China on Wednesday warned millions of residents not to go outdoors as temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

State broadcaster CCTV this week showed footage of cement roads cracking under extreme heat in central Henan province.

Meanwhile, electricity demands rose to record levels in several northern cities this week as residents cranked up air conditioning to brave the heat.

In China’s second-most populous province, Shandong, home to more than 100 million people, power consumption topped 93 million kilowatts on Tuesday, surpassing the 2020 peak of 90 million kilowatts, CCTV said.

– What are the economic costs? –

China’s Central Economic Planner estimates that extreme weather events will shave between one and three percent of the country’s GDP each year.

Last year’s floods in China cost $25 billion — the world’s second-biggest flood damage after Europe, according to a study by reinsurer Swiss Re published in April.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang warned on Wednesday that floods and heatwaves will affect production of basic grains, vegetables and pork and push up inflation.

– Why is this happening? –

“Extreme weather and climate events in the country have become more frequent, severe and widespread,” the China Meteorological Administration said on Wednesday.

It followed a warning in March from Xiao Chan, deputy director of the National Climate Center: “Global warming and the La Nina events are contributing to unusually high temperatures and extreme rainfall in China.”

The warmer the Earth’s atmosphere gets, the more moisture it absorbs, causing downpours to become more intense.

La Nina refers to the large-scale cooling of surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific that caused devastating floods in southern China, India and Bangladesh.

– What is China doing about it? –

China has built a network of massive dams and “sponge cities” with permeable sidewalks to try to limit devastation during the annual flooding season.

“But the most damaging floods in recent memory have occurred in historically less vulnerable areas,” said Scott Moore, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania who focuses on China’s environmental policies.

“This is a classic effect of climate change: more extreme weather in different regions and at different times of the year than the historical average.”

China is the world’s largest coal-burning nation and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

It aims to become carbon neutral by 2060, but local governments have increased investment in both renewable energy and coal in recent months.

Beijing has also not yet spelled out exactly how it intends to meet its emissions targets.

Environmentalists have warned that without specifying the size of the peak or setting an absolute cap, China can essentially keep increasing emissions into 2030.

– Do you focus on forecasts? –

A new climate change adaptation roadmap released last week by the Chinese government says the focus should now shift to using sensors and satellites to more accurately predict extreme weather.

“The usefulness of weather forecasts is limited to about 10 days, after which their accuracy quickly drops to that of a coin toss,” think tank Trivium China said in a research note.

“Climate monitoring and forecasting is a whole different ball game” that helps predict severe floods and droughts at least a month in advance.

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#Whats #Causing #Record #Floods #Heatwaves #China

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