SUMMER OF EXTREMES
State media reported this week that some areas had endured “once-a-century flooding … (or) the biggest since historical records began”.
The central government has allocated 105 million yuan (US$14.5 million) in emergency flood relief for flood-hit areas, state media said Friday.
Aside from Guangdong, the provinces and regions of Guangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou have all been affected.
While torrential rains have struck the south, northern China has sweated in temperatures well above 35 degrees Celsius.
Authorities in several provinces have issued heat warnings since the start of June, urging residents to limit exposure to the sun and to stay hydrated.
Rain showers provided some relief from the heat on Friday in the capital Beijing, where the mercury climbed to 37C last week.
Scientists say climate change makes extreme weather such as heavy rains and heatwaves more frequent and intense.
China is the world’s biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that are a major cause of climate change.
Beijing has pledged to bring emissions of carbon dioxide – a potent greenhouse gas – to a peak by 2030 and to net zero by 2060.
