Southern China is experiencing a dramatic situation after the passage of Typhoon Maysak last weekend. In addition to recovering from the devastation, the country needs to prepare for the arrival of another storm with an even greater risk of destruction. And the outlook is not good: according to meteorologists, the country could face another three typhoons this month.
Catastrophic storms test China's climate resilience
Southern China is experiencing a dramatic situation after the passage of Typhoon Maysak last weekend. In addition to recovering from the devastation, the country needs to prepare for the arrival of another storm with an...
Guangxi province is still dealing with the destruction caused by Maysak, which caused dams to collapse and river levels to rise, causing devastating floods in Hangzhou. So far, Chinese authorities have confirmed the deaths of six people, but that number is expected to rise. Remnants of the typhoon also caused two tornadoes in Hubei, in central China, which left at least 11 people dead.
Amid the damage, the Chinese await the arrival of super typhoon Bavi, scheduled for the end of this week. The storm is expected to hit the south coast with winds exceeding 290 km/h.
But the sequence of climate disasters is not likely to end. China's National Climate Center confirmed that another six typhoons are expected to form in the northwest Pacific and South China Sea in July, well above the average of 3.8 storms for the month. Of these, up to three could reach the Chinese coast.
“The problem with these events is that they are becoming more and more frequent,” Benjamin Hortor of the City University of Hong Kong told Reuters. He warned that the magnitude of events is increasing and there is no time for recovery and resilience development. “This will repeat itself indefinitely.”
According to AP, the Chinese government released additional funds, around 50 million yuan (around R$38 million), to help areas hit by last week's climate disasters, in addition to 20 million yuan (R$15 million) for the reconstruction of homes and the resettlement of residents. So far, the country has allocated more than 150 million yuan (R$113 million) for emergency aid.
As Bloomberg highlights, Xi Jinping's government is racing against time to stay one step ahead of climate risks. Last month, the Chinese meteorological agency published a five-year plan to deal with climate disasters. Among the objectives is to improve the monitoring of extreme events, including changes in the seasonal rainfall range that threaten to cause flooding in poorly prepared regions.
NBC News, Sky News and the Xinhua agency also covered the impacts of Maysak and the Chinese preparation for Bavi's arrival. Grist highlighted the damage caused by Bavi on the islands of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Pacific.
Source: ClimaInfo
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