China was hit the week of June 12 by a rare convergence of record rainfall, heat waves, and a tornado in the southern mega-city of Guangzhou, displacing millions of people, damaging properties and swamping farmland, with more storms and floods on the way at press time.
Southern China is expected to see torrential rain until June 21, state media reported, with no immediate reprieve to the region already inundated by downpours.
Authorities had issued warnings of “extreme weather events” as early as April, ahead of the rainy season that signals the seasonal transition from spring to summer in June.
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China is historically prone to floods, triggering landslides and swamping many acres of farmland.
In recent times, the country has grown even more vulnerable, owing to deforestation, the reclamation of wetlands and the storage of water for power generation and irrigation.
China also blames climate change for the increase in extreme weather events.
