Severe weather tests China, brings more heat, rainstorms

While northern China bakes under a scorching heat wave with record-breaking daily maximum temperatures, rainstorms are forecast to sweep along many provincial-level regions in the south, raising multiple alerts across the country.

At 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued an orange high-temperature alert, the second-highest level in the country's warning system, forecasting daytime high temperatures in provinces and regions including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Xinjiang, among others. Temperatures in parts of Hebei and Xinjiang may surpass 40 degrees Celsius.

In north China's Hebei Province, the provincial meteorological observatory renewed the red alert for high temperatures on Tuesday at 5 a.m., saying that many meteorological stations in an area stretching from the southern parts of Baoding City to the cities of Xingtai and Handan may see their hottest weather with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

The agricultural and rural affairs department in Hebei is closely monitoring the adverse effects of high temperatures on crop growth and harvesting and providing guidance to farmers on summer harvesting and planting, as well as heatstroke prevention measures.

"From Tuesday to Thursday, high temperatures in the central and southern parts of Hebei Province will continue to intensify. But there will be a province-wide precipitation starting on Thursday, which will ease the heat," said Jin Xiaoqing, chief forecaster at the observatory.

Beijing, the Chinese capital, is also enduring a three-day heat wave starting Tuesday.

The Beijing Municipal Education Commission suggested that kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and vocational middle schools reduce outdoor physical education classes and outdoor activities.

"As the heat goes up, so does the threat of outdoor electrical equipment fires," said a property manager surnamed Zheng at a residential compound in Beijing's Fengtai District. "We keep a close eye on the equipment susceptible to heat and have deployed a team of engineers to inspect electric vehicle charging piles and outdoor air conditioning units."

According to a forecast published by the NMC, high temperatures are expected to develop in northern China. Central and southern parts of north China, most of the Huanghuai area in southern Shanxi, and the Guanzhong area in Shaanxi are expected to experience six to eight days of temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Some areas in Henan Province may see nine to 10 days of similar high temperatures.

During this period, the daily maximum temperatures in some areas of Hebei, Henan, Shanxi and Shandong may reach or exceed historical records for the same period, said the NMC.

From 8 a.m. on Monday to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, 27 national meteorological stations in Tianjin and the provinces of Shandong, Hebei and Jiangsu have already logged daily maximum temperatures, shattering historical records for early June.

"Recently, many parts of the world have experienced high temperatures. The primary cause is global warming, which has led to different regions being controlled by various types of high-pressure systems, resulting in prolonged periods of heat," said Zheng Zhihai, chief forecaster at the National Climate Center.

Noting that the heat came a little sooner than usual this summer, Zheng said global warming, along with the influence of the western Pacific subtropical high and continental high-pressure systems, contributes to China's high-temperature weather.

However, down south, rainstorms have become an issue.

China's national observatory published a blue alert for rainstorms at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, expecting heavy rainfall to batter some of the country's southern parts.

From 8 a.m. on Tuesday to 8 a.m. on Wednesday, heavy to torrential rains are expected to affect parts of southern Zhejiang Province, northern Fujian Province, central and northern Jiangxi  Province, and southern Hunan  Province, among other regions, according to the NMC.

In the last 24 hours, Taihe County in east China's Jiangxi has been battered by rainstorms, receiving 190 millimeters of rainfall, the local weather authority said at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

On Monday afternoon, the Jiangxi provincial meteorological bureau initiated a Level IV emergency response to significant meteorological disasters.

To cope with the weather, Jiangxi has ramped up emergency efforts to protect the lives and property of its people. Measures include enhancing precise monitoring of hazardous weather conditions, optimizing alert systems and strengthening communication and coordination among departments, such as housing and construction, transportation, culture and tourism and energy.

"The risk of disasters, such as flooding and urban water logging, is high due to the extended duration of this rainfall and its overlap with previous precipitation areas," said Xiao An, chief forecaster at the Jiangxi provincial meteorological observatory. "Proactive measures are being implemented in advance to mitigate the impact of the severe weather."

(Cover: Tourists visit the Forbidden City amid a heat wave in Beijing, China, June 12, 2024. /CFP)