BEIJING (AP) — China is being hit by two extreme weather events, with heavy rains and floods forcing tens of thousands to evacuate in the south and a heat wave threatening drought for farmers in the north.
At least one person has died in the floods. The body of a student was found on Saturday, two days after he fell into a swollen river in the southern city of Guilin, state broadcaster CCTV reported online. Elsewhere in Guangxi, heavy rains have flooded homes in several villages.
In the east, landslides and floods hit parts of Fujian province, forcing the evacuation of 36,000 people, according to state media. A landslide trapped a truck in Songxi county, and video posted online by the Quanzhou municipal government showed vehicles submerged in muddy water in parts of the historic city.
The Chinese government has repeatedly called for stronger disaster prevention and preparedness, anticipating more severe weather disasters due to climate change. Heavy rains and hailstorms killed seven people in eastern China’s Jiangxi province earlier this year.
Much of northern China, including the capital Beijing, has been hit by high temperatures over the past week. The National Meteorological Center issued heat warnings on Monday, predicting maximum temperatures of around 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Beijing and its suburbs, as well as in the western regions of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.
Extreme heat was also reported in Taiwan, an area claimed by China off the east coast. Temperatures reached 36.6 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit) in a township in Taitung county on Sunday, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported, citing the government’s meteorological bureau.
Lack of rainfall in northern China is raising concerns about this year’s agricultural production.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong toured Hebei province, bordering Beijing, on Saturday and called for anti-drought efforts.
Water resources need to be allocated scientifically and agricultural water conservation strengthened, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, adding that Xi also called for farmers to help plant drought-resistant crops to solidify the autumn grain harvest.
