This year's rainstorms in southern China are characterized by a wide range of impacts, a long duration, high intensity and incessant heavy rainfall in some regions, China Meteorological Administration said on Wednesday.

However, judging from the rainstorm duration, intensity and impact range, the disaster in the Yangtze River Basin this year is weaker than the one in 1998.  

Still, the causes of disaster are similar: the subtropical high-pressure moved northward before falling southward and finally stabilizing, but the impact duration has not been as long as that in 1998. In addition, the impact area is also not as large as the one in 1998, as the rainstorm disaster that year was formed by incessant heavy rains in the entire basin.

Global warming is a major reason for the rainfall anomaly this year, according to the preliminary analysis by experts at the National Climate Center (NCC), said Song Lianchun, director of NCC.

"Observations show that global warming leads to the frequent occurrence of extreme weather and climate events, and China is in the sensitive region of climate change," said Song. "In the past 60 years, the frequency of heavy rain has increased significantly, with the number of days of heavy rain increasing by 3.9 percent per decade. The heavy rain in the Yangtze River Basin this time occurred under such a background."

"Also, the subtropical anticyclone is relatively strong this year, coupled with frequent cold air activities. The intersection of warm and cold air leads to continuous heavy precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin."

Song called for high attention to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate.

Global warming will change the global circulation pattern, and affect local climate through ocean-atmosphere, land-atmosphere interactions, said Song.

"We cannot say that a single extreme weather event is directly caused by climate change, but in the long run, the warming climate has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events," Song cautioned.

China should raise awareness of climate risks and improve its ability to cope with extreme weather and climate, in particular, enhancing the level of monitoring, forecasting and early warning, he added.

So far, China has seven Fengyun meteorological satellites to monitor the country's weather condition around the clock, said Yang Jun, director of National Satellite Meteorological Center.

The satellites conduct inspections on major river basins and lakes four times a day, and closely monitor the Taihu Lake and Dongting Lake at the same time.

"For example, in case of flood and waterlogging disasters in the Miyun and Guanting reservoirs, we will timely release relevant monitoring results to the government and the public and provide services," said Yang.

(Cover photo via VCG)