China Hit by Floods and Heat Waves in Climate Double Whammy
Flooding in the south has forced millions to relocate, while provinces in the north are experiencing record heat.
Rescuers use rubber boats to evacuate stranded residents following a flood in Fujian Province on June 19.
Photographer: Huang Jiemin/VCG/Getty Images
Record rains in China’s southern provinces have forced millions of people to relocate even as the country’s north experiences abnormally high temperatures, showing the dual impacts of climate change in the world’s second-biggest economy.
From May 1 to June 15, the average precipitation in Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi reached 621 millimeters, the highest recorded in six decades, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Floods occurred along 117 rivers in the Pearl River Basin during the same period. The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou saw its highest tide in a century last week, with waters exceeding 2.6 meters (8.5 feet).