Tag: Climate change

Flash Flood in Northern China Collapses Highway Bridge

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TAIPEI, Taiwan — A highway bridge in northern China collapsed due to flash floods triggered by heavy rains, and two cars fell into the river, state media reported Thursday as parts of China are experiencing the worst floods in decades. There were no known casualties as of Thursday afternoon after a bridge across the Mayi River collapsed along the Harbin-Mudanjiang Highway in Heilongjiang province, according to the Beijing News. Images published by local media showed two badly damaged cars floating in the water. The bridge collapsed around 8:50 a.m. local…

Typhoon Doksuri Downgraded to Tropical Storm Status

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TAIPEI — Typhoon Doksuri weakened into a tropical storm late Friday night after bringing heavy winds and rain that left more than a million people without power in southern China. After making landfall Friday morning in southern Fujian province, where at least 400,000 people were evacuated, the storm flooded streets and toppled electric transmission towers in the province. Over a million households were left without power, according to the state-backed Xiamen Evening News. The typhoon was downgraded to a tropical storm at 11 p.m. Friday, China’s state-owned broadcaster CCTV announced.…

Taiwan Shuts Schools, Offices as Typhoon Doksuri Hits Coast

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TAIPEI — Two of Taiwan’s largest cities have shut down schools and offices Thursday as Typhoon Doksuri brought heavy rains and winds to the island’s eastern and southern coast. Doksuri weakened further on Thursday, with sustained winds of 155 kph and gusts of up to 190 kph, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau. The typhoon’s center will not hit Taiwan’s mainland, but its outlying bands will still bring stronger winds and rains Thursday afternoon. In the south, port city Kaohsiung and the ancient capital Tainan announced that offices and schools…

Europe Battles Heat, Fires; Sweltering Temperatures Scorch China, US

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rome/beijing —  Italy put 23 cities on red alert as it reckoned with another day of scorching temperatures Wednesday, with no sign of relief from the wave of extreme heat, wildfires and flooding that has wreaked havoc from the United States to China. The heat wave has hit southern Europe during the peak summer tourist season, breaking records – including in Rome – and bringing warnings about an increased risk of deaths. Wildfires burned for a third day west of the Greek capital, Athens, and firefighters raced to keep flames…

Kerry Says Climate Change Cooperation Could Boost US, China Relations

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U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday that he hopes addressing the threat of climate change can be a path of cooperation between the two countries. “We are very hopeful that this can be the beginning, not just of a conversation between you and me and us on the climate track, but that we can begin to change the broader relationship,” Kerry told Wang during a visit to Beijing. The United States and China are the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters. Wang said China…

US Envoy Kerry Arrives in China to Restart Climate Talks

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U.S. climate envoy John Kerry arrived in China on Sunday, state media reported, to restart stalled talks between the world’s two biggest emitters of planet-warming gases. Starting on Monday, “China and the United States will have an in-depth exchange of views” on climate issues, state broadcaster CCTV said on Kerry’s arrival in Beijing. Kerry’s trip to China, where he will meet with his counterpart Xie Zhenhua, follows weeks of record-setting summer heat that scientists say is being exacerbated by climate change. Bilateral climate talks stalled last year after Nancy Pelosi,…

As China Struggles With Heat, Flooding and Drought, Employers Ordered to Limit Outdoor Work

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BEIJING — Employers across much of China were ordered Monday to limit outdoor work due to scorching temperatures, while the east and southwest were warned to prepare for torrential rain as the country struggled with heat, flooding and drought. Temperatures as high as 40 C (104 F) were reported in cities including Shijiazhuang, southwest of Beijing, the capital. Highs of 35 C (95 F) to 38 C (100 F) were reported in Beijing, Guangzhou in the south, Chongqing in the southwest and Shenyang in the northeast. The weather agency issued…

Beijing Sizzles With Hot Weather Alert at Highest Level

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BEIJING —  Beijing on Friday upgraded its warning for hot weather to “red” — the highest in a color-coded alert system — with many parts of the Chinese capital roasting in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius. The official temperature for the capital, which is measured from its southern suburbs observ atory, hit 40 degrees Celsius just after 1:30 p.m. (0530 GMT) on Friday, according to the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Observatory.”This is the first time since the establishment of the observatory that there has been a high temperature of…

China’s Lockdown-led Carbon Emissions Drop Short-lived, Experts Say 

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Berlin —  The projected drop in carbon emissions in China because of its slowed economic growth due to pandemic lockdowns – shown in a report released at the recent COP27 – is likely short-lived, experts have told VOA. China’s carbon emissions this year are estimated to drop 0.9%, along with European Union countries, while the rest of the world are projected to see a rise, according to the annual Global Carbon Project report. The carbon emitted from coal in China is projected to go up 1%, but will drop 2.8%…