Multiple rivers in China, including its longest, the Yangtze River, are experiencing severe flooding in the wake of torrential rains, various media outlets report.
In some areas, such as the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, local authorities have declared a level 2 emergency – the nation’s second highest. According to the South China Morning Post, the Fuyang district of Zhejiang, along with Jiande and Tonlu counties, have seen the evacuation of more than 16,000 people.
Other provinces situated around the Yangtze such as Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei and Sichuan are braced for serious flooding, with China’s Meteorological Administration anticipating extremely heavy rainfall today and tomorrow. Southern provinces such as Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi have also been hit hard.
[See more: Scorching heat is sweeping across many parts of China]
The deluge is not unexpected to abate anytime soon, with the deputy director of the China National Hydrological Information Centre, Hu Zhidan, telling CCTV that “it is expected that in July, significant floods may occur on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Yellow River, as well as in the Huaihe River, Yihe River, Shuhe River [and the Haihe River basin].”
While certain parts of China have been ravaged by flash flooding, other areas in the country, including Henan and Shandong province are experiencing high temperatures of more than 35°C that have drastically impacted agricultural harvests
Extreme weather is a symptom of global warming, according to scientists. In Macao, the phenomenon has been manifested in the increased number of typhoons and the local weather bureau’s forecast that the frequency of hot days could double by the middle of this century.
