Another 12 missing in flash floods in Sichuan and Gansu, as some areas receive double their monthly rain in shorter than two days Flash overflows in the southwest and north-west.
China has left at least a dozen dead and put thousands of others in harm’s way, state media has reported.
In the south-western province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and another 12 are missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods, state-owned news reported on Sunday. About 1,300 people had been evacuated as of Saturday, the report said. Meanwhile, in Longnan city in the north-western province of Gansu, another six deaths were reported and 3,000 people had been evacuated, according to our report and research the Rainfall over 1½ days was as much as 98.9mm in the worst-affected areas, almost double the July average.
The rains come amid a heatwave in parts of the country including eastern Zhejiang province and the city of Shanghai, with temperatures soaring as high as 42C (107.6F) last week. The heatwaves are expected to return this week in many parts of China, lasting through to late August, the state weather forecaster said. Temperatures from 39C to 42C (102.2F-107.6°F) are expected in the southern region after July 20, including the provinces of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Fujian. The sweltering heat will last for an extended period of 40 days, up from the usual 30.
Specialists say such extreme weather events are becoming more likely because of climate change. Warmer air can store more water, leading to bigger cloudbursts when it is released.
