Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in eastern China on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Large parts of Fujian province were battered by torrential rains, powerful winds and widespread flooding. Footage released by state TV showed entire streets under water, as rescue workers attempted to pull people to safety. An official with Fujian province’s disaster agency said at least 800,000 people were affected by the floods and an additional 416,000 people in Fujian had already been evacuated. Doksuri is the most powerful typhoon to hit Fujian province since…
Tag: Extreme weather
Typhoon Doksuri: thousands evacuated from Beijing as storm hits northern China
Rain soaked northern China on Saturday as Doksuri, one of the strongest storms to hit the country in years, prompted thousands to evacuate in Beijing after pummelling the Philippines and Taiwan and lashing China’s coast. A broad area encompassing the capital faces a medium to high risk of rainstorm disasters over the coming three days, China’s national forecaster said. Thunderstorms in the capital were forecast to peak on Saturday. As the storm rolls inland, cumulative rainfall of 100mm (4in) or more was forecast over 220,000 sq km (85,000 square miles),…
Brutal heat and heavy rain: a week of extreme weather
52.2C in China A remote township in the north-western region of Xinjiang set a Chinese record of 52.2C (125.9F) on Sunday – in a country that was battling -50C weather six months ago. Sanbao is in the Turpan Depression, an arid basin of sand dunes and dried-up lakes where 50.3C was recorded in 2015. Beijing topped its record for high-temperature days in a year on Tuesday, with 27 days above 35C. The temperature in its southern suburbs soared even higher on Wednesday to 36.3C. 53.3C in the US Temperatures at…
Weather tracker: records fall but worst of Europe’s heatwave may yet to come
Extreme heat has lingered over southern Europe throughout the past week, with all-time records broken in a number of locations. Just a few places that recorded their highest ever temperature on 19 July include: Decimomannu in Sardinia at 46.2C, Malaga airport in Spain at 44.2C, and Durrës in Albania at 40.4C. The World Meteorological Organization confirmed that the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48.8C in Sicily in 2021, possibly spurred on by the risk of this week’s heatwave breaking records. Throughout the coming week much of Spain and…
‘Facekinis’ become all the rage in China as temperatures soar
In scorching Beijing, “facekinis” are the hottest new fashion as surging temperatures shatter records. With the mercury rising above 35C (95F) and the surface temperature soaring as high as 80C in some parts of the country, residents and visitors have taken to carrying portable fans and covering themselves up to avoid getting a tan. Some hats even have fans built in. Facekinis, or full-face masks with holes for the wearer’s eyes and nose, sleeves to cover arms, as well as wide-brimmed hats and lightweight jackets made out of UV-resistant fabric,…
From Kawasaki to Phoenix: tracking a day of extreme heat around the world
20 July 2023 10.30am: Kawasaki, Japan Shota Nagasaki, 30, a builder laying concrete I’ve been doing this work for 12 years – since I left high school – and it’s got hotter even over that time. This year is kind of crazy. I mean, there are years that are not so hot, but over time the temperatures are rising. I don’t live nearby the work site so I picked the truck from the company as usual and drove here; with the air conditioning on of course. But I don’t like…
Extreme heat: a warning shot from nature | podcast
“People do look tired, they look exhausted, as if they’re kind of wilting,” the Guardian’s Rome correspondent, Angela Giuffrida, tells Michael Safi. Italy, like many other countries, has been experiencing record-breaking heat. The Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, explains why we’re seeing these temperatures now and what we can expect in the future if we do not address the climate emergency. “This is the kind of heat that takes the breath out of you,” the Guardian US’s extreme weather correspondent, Gabrielle Canon, says. Canon has been reporting from Phoenix, Arizona,…
Extreme temperatures recorded across northern hemisphere
Temperatures continued to reach extreme highs across many parts of the northern hemisphere on Monday, with the mercury in parts of Italy poised to hit 45C on Tuesday and wildfires raging in Greece and Spain signalling the latest fierce warning of the effects of the climate crisis. In Italy, where temperatures later in the week could push close to the European record of 48.8C, set in the Sicilian town of Floridia in August 2021, Italians were warned to brace themselves for “the most intense heatwave of the summer and also…
Evacuations under way as severe flooding hits parts of China – video report
South-west China’s Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality have been hit by severe flooding triggered by heavy rainfall over the past month. According to state broadcasters, authorities dispatched rescue personnel to evacuate residents from the affected areas. Rising water levels have caused landslides and submerged homes and infrastructure in water, hindering evacuation efforts The Guardian
Flooding across China displaces thousands after weeks of torrential rain – video
According to state media, heavy flooding has displaced thousands of people and damaged infrastructure across China. Authorities in the northern Shaanxi province reported the worst flooding in 50 years, while in the south-western city of Chongqing, a landslide caused cracks in roads and damaged foundations. Further footage from across the country shows vehicles submerged in water and bridges destroyed. No deaths have been reported as a result of the flooding so far The Guardian