China is seeing record-breaking rainfall and temperatures this summer, and both demand quick action in flood and heat control, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on Friday.

During a press conference, Wang Yawei, head of CMA's Emergency Response, Disaster Mitigation and Public Services Department, briefed on the characteristics of this summer's weather conditions by saying that both the amount of rain and the degree of temperature are worrying.

According to Wang, since the country entered its flood season on March 17, the average precipitation has been 280.6 mm, which is 10.7 percent more than the same period of previous years, and the highest since 2017. In the meantime, the average temperature has registered as 15.8 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees Celsius higher than the same period of previous years and the second highest in history.

To further elaborate, Wang pointed out that southern China has had more rainstorms that overlap and their intensity is alarming. Since March, the precipitation records in Guangdong Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have both registered the highest since records began.

Wang also noted that typhoons are bringing more extreme weather this summer, although the first typhoon to land China arrived later than previous years. Since the beginning of 2022, a total of four typhoons have formed in northwest Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, of which one typhoon has made landfall. Typhoon Chaba, the first to have made its landing in China this year, has brought strong wind and rain and several tornadoes in southern China. Under its influence, over 60 monitoring stations in the country reported extraordinary rainstorms, and Sanya City of Hainan Island observed record breaking daily rainfall.

The severity of heat waves this summer is also raising concerns, Wang added. The average June temperature in the entire country was 21.3 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees Celsius higher than the same period of previous years, and the highest since 1961. The highest temperature this summer was recorded at 44.2 degrees Celsius in Lingshou County of north China's Hebei Province.

The meteorological authority has been coordinating with the housing, hydraulic and emergency response departments among others to provide disaster relief services. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development led a three-day nationwide survey on urban drainage and water-logging prevention in nearly 50 cities to prevent damages and secure urban water and gas supplies. The National Flood Control and Drought Relief Command Headquarters said it has evacuated about 1.2 million people affected by flooding this year.

(Cover images via VCG)

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