At least 30 killed in Beijing following heavy rain
At least 30 killed in Beijing following heavy rain
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CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Third-hottest July on record wreaks climate havoc
PARIS: The third-hottest July worldwide ended a string of record-breaking temperatures last month, but many regions were still devastated by extreme weather amplified by global warming, the European climate monitoring service said on Thursday (Aug 7). Heavy rains flooded Pakistan and northern China; Canada, Scotland and Greece struggled to tame wildfires intensified by persistent drought; and many nations in Asia and Scandinavia recorded new average highs for the month. "Two years after the hottest July on record, the recent streak of global temperature records is over," Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, said in a statement. "But that does not mean climate change has stopped," he said. "We continue to witness the effects of a warming world." A MISLEADING DIP As in June, July showed a slight dip compared to the preceding two years, averaging 1.25°C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) era. 2023 and 2024 warmed above that benchmark by more than 1.5°C, which is the Paris Agreement target set in 2015 for capping the rise in global temperatures at relatively safe levels. That deceptively small increase has been enough to make storms, heatwaves and other extreme weather events far more deadly and destructive. "We continued to witness the effect of a warming world in events such as extreme heatwaves and catastrophic floods in July," Buontempo said. Last month, temperatures exceeded 50°C in the Gulf, Iraq and - for the first time - Turkey, while torrential rains killed hundreds of people in China and Pakistan. In Spain, more than a thousand deaths were attributed by a public institute to the heat in July, half as many as in the same period in 2024. The main source of the CO2 driving up temperatures is well known: the burning of oil, coal and gas to generate energy. "Unless we rapidly stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, we should expect not only new temperature records but also a worsening of impacts," Buontempo said. REGIONAL CONTRASTS Global average temperatures are calculated using billions of satellite and weather readings, both on land and at sea, and the data used by Copernicus extends back to 1940. Even if July was milder in some places than in previous years, 11 countries experienced their hottest July in at least a half-century, including China, Japan, North Korea, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Brunei and Malaysia, according to AFP calculations. In Europe, Nordic countries saw an unprecedented string of hot days, including more than 20 days above 30°C across Finland. More than half of Europe along with the Mediterranean region experienced the worst drought conditions in the first part of July since monitoring began in 2012, according to an AFP analysis of data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO). In contrast, temperatures were below normal in North and South America, India and parts of Australia and Africa, as well as in Antarctica. SEAS STILL OVERHEATING Last month was also the third-hottest July on record for sea surface temperatures. Locally, however, several ocean records for July were broken: in the Norwegian Sea, in parts of the North Sea, in the North Atlantic west of France and Britain. The extent of Arctic sea ice was 10 per cent below average, the second lowest for a July in 47 years of satellite observations, virtually tied with the readings of 2012 and 2021. Diminishing sea ice is a concern not because it adds to sea levels, but because it replaces the snow and ice that reflect almost all the Sun's energy back into space with deep blue ocean, which absorbs it. 90 per cent of the excess heat generated by global warming is absorbed by the oceans.
CNA
12 hours ago
- CNA
Tens of thousands evacuated as torrential rains hit south China
BEIJING: Torrential rains triggered widespread flooding and landslides across southern China on Wednesday (Aug 6), forcing tens of thousands to evacuate as emergency services rushed to rescue those trapped in collapsed buildings and submerged streets. More than 75,000 people in Guangdong province had been relocated by noon, state broadcaster CCTV reported, after relentless downpours drenched urban and rural areas alike. LANDSLIDE IN GUANGZHOU A major landslide struck Dayuan village in Guangzhou around 8.30am, trapping 14 people beneath rubble and debris. Rescuers had freed seven survivors by evening, none of whom were in immediate danger. The body of an eighth person was later recovered, according to CCTV, as operations continued into the night. Footage from the scene showed emergency personnel in orange suits climbing over a collapsed structure, surrounded by mud and broken concrete. FLOODS ACROSS GUANGDONG AND GUANGXI CCTV also showed waist-deep floodwaters sweeping through streets in Guangdong and neighbouring Guangxi province, with stranded residents clinging to partially submerged vehicles and makeshift rafts. Homes and storefronts were inundated, prompting officials to launch an emergency response in Guangdong. Authorities have allocated 100 million yuan (US$14 million) in recovery funds, China's top economic planner announced. The National Reform and Development Commission warned that continued rainfall had already caused 'heavy casualties and property losses' across the region. EXTREME WEATHER ACROSS CHINA Deadly floods and landslides are becoming more common during China's summer months. Last month, 44 people died after rains battered Beijing's outskirts, while a separate landslide in Hebei province killed another eight. China remains vulnerable to natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, even as it leads the world in renewable energy production. The country is the planet's largest emitter of greenhouse gases but has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060.
CNA
17 hours ago
- CNA
Indian army searches for scores missing after deadly floods in Uttarakhand
The search for more than 100 people still missing is underway after heavy downpours triggered flash floods and landslides in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. At least four people have been killed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered condolences to victims, while authorities continue rescue efforts amid challenging conditions.
