Rising ocean temperatures caused by climate crisis are also said to be causing China’s extreme weather
Summers in China are often wet, sometimes very wet, but nothing like the drenching that has engulfed Beijing and its neighbouring provinces this week.
As Beijing authorities lifted the flood alert on Wednesday morning, after the city’s heaviest rainfall for 140 years, 21 people across the region were confirmed dead. Dozens more were missing.
According to reports, almost a million people have been evacuated in the region. Rescue and recovery crews searched flooded streets in rubber dinghies for any trapped behind. Hundreds of flights were either delayed or cancelled at the city’s two major airports.
China has been hit hard by extreme weather in recent months, from record-breaking heatwaves to deadly rain. In July, employers across the country were ordered to limit outdoor work due to blistering heat. On Wednesday, the Beijing meteorological service said 744.8mm of rain had fallen since the previous Saturday, shattering a previous record of 609mm, set in 1891.
