BEIJING: Torrential rains in central China have killed at least 30 people and left dozens more missing, state media reported on Thursday, as the country grinds through another summer of extreme weather and experienced its hottest July on record.
The deluge, driven by Typhoon Gaemi, which made landfall in eastern China after traversing the Philippines and Taiwan, has particularly impacted Hunan province. A record rainfall of 645 millimeters (25 inches) within a 24-hour period inundated the city of Zixing, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents.
The intense rainfall and subsequent flooding have caused severe disruptions in infrastructure, including road closures, power outages, and communication breakdowns.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that the current death toll stands at 30, with 35 persons still unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to locate missing persons and assess the full extent of the damage.
Xinhua news agency had previously reported four deaths and three missing persons in Zixing alone, with additional fatalities occurring in Yongxing county and from a landslide that claimed 15 lives in another part of Hunan.
The extreme weather comes amid a broader pattern of unusual heat. The China Meteorological Administration announced that July was the hottest month on record since comprehensive observations began in 1961.
The average July temperature across China reached 23.21 degrees Celsius (73.78 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record of 23.17°C (73.71°F) set in 2017. This record-breaking heat has been felt nationwide, with provinces like Guizhou and Yunnan experiencing their highest average temperatures on record.
The heatwave is expected to continue, with forecasts predicting continued high temperatures in eastern regions, including Shanghai, which is under a red alert for extreme heat. The city of Hangzhou is projected to hit 43°C (109°F) this weekend, potentially breaking its all-time temperature record. Meanwhile, the Yangtze River basin is expected to experience temperatures no lower than 30°C (86°F).
The extreme summer weather follows a record-breaking global temperature event. On July 22, Earth experienced its warmest day ever recorded, with a global average temperature of 17.15°C (62.9°F), according to preliminary data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This surpassed the previous day’s record by 0.06°C.
China has pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. China has been making strides in renewable energy, with recent research showing it is building nearly twice as much wind and solar capacity as the rest of the world combined.
