Torrential rain kills 15 in Chongqing amid heatwaves
Fifteen people are dead and four are missing after torrential rain lashed the metropolis of Chongqing, local officials and state media said on Wednesday. The heavy rains, mainly seen in the areas along the Yangtze River, have triggered floods and disrupted the lives of more than 130,000 people in 19 districts and counties, according to Xinhua news agency. It came a day after officials put in place an alert for rain-triggered disasters across large swathes of central and southwestern China. President Xi Jinping ordered that "authorities at all levels must give top priority to ensuring people's safety and property", Xinhua reported. About 85,000 people have been evacuated from their homes as a result of the rain, officials said, with "flash floods in mountainous areas" and "possible mudslides in some parts" of the nation expected this week. Scientists say that rising global temperatures – caused largely by burning fossil fuels – increase the likelihood of extreme weather events such as the flash floods and heatwaves experienced in many Asian countries in recent weeks. This week's torrential rains in Chongqing represent one of the deadliest natural disasters to occur in the nation so far this year. The floods coincided with record heatwaves in other parts of China, with the country's National Meteorological Centre renewing a yellow alert for high temperatures as heatwaves lingered in parts of the country. According to the centre, daytime temperatures in parts of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong and Xinjiang are forecast to exceed 35 degrees Celsius. In some areas of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and Henan, temperatures may surpass 40 degrees Celsius. China has a three-tier weather warning system for high temperatures, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange and yellow. This year, the average number of high-temperature days stood at 4.1 from January to June, already higher than the full-year average of 2.2 days. Temperatures are expected to climb further in July and August. Concerns are mounting over a repeat of last year's drought, the most severe in 60 years, which at its peak affected more than 6 million hectares of crops with economic losses reaching billions of yuan. (Agencies)______________________________
Last updated: 2023-07-05 HKT 16:49 