Flooding and other natural disasters in China killed at least 122 people and caused nearly £2.2bn in economic losses during August, the Ministry of Emergency Management has reported. More than 10 million people were affected by a series of extreme weather events, including flash floods and droughts, which damaged roads, homes, and farmland across the country.
Record rainfall battered northern and southern China, with meteorologists attributing the extreme weather to climate change. In Guangzhou, 622.6mm of rain fell between August 2 and 6 — nearly three times the monthly average — resulting in at least seven deaths. Separate floods in Gansu province killed ten people earlier in the month. Typhoons Podul and Co-may exacerbated the situation, forcing the evacuation of over 75,000 people in Guangdong and causing widespread disruption in Hong Kong.
The transport ministry reported that rainfall during the flood season, which began on July 1, had already caused over £1.6bn in damage to roads across 23 provinces. The devastation has added fiscal strain to local governments grappling with slower economic growth. In response, authorities have allocated emergency re-lending to help businesses and farmers recover, alongside fresh disaster relief funding of £44.5m, bringing the total allocated since April to at least £601m.
Scientists warn that a warming climate is intensifying monsoon rainfall across Asia, increasing the risk of both flash floods and prolonged dry spells. 'Global warming can lead to heavier rainfall, but there's only so much water,' said Professor Johnny Chan of the City University of Hong Kong. 'So if one area has more rain, another area will have less rain.' The combination of wetter and drier conditions is leaving governments facing mounting humanitarian and financial costs.
