Calay News
Typhoon Doksuri has been battering southeast China since Friday and is now moving north, prompting the Chinese weather service to issue a red alert for torrential rain. This alert is in effect from 20:00 local time and covers a vast area where hundreds of millions of people reside, including major cities such as Beijing and Tianjin, as well as Hebei, Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi provinces.
Meteorological projections suggest that more than 60 cm of precipitation could fall. As a precaution, several of Beijing’s iconic parks, lakes, and waterways have been closed until further notice. The rains have already begun to affect the capital and are expected to be even more intense than the historic floods of July 2012, which caused 79 deaths.
This phenomenon occurs at the same time that Typhoon Doksuri advances through the southeast of the country, where it causes extensive material damage and gusts of up to 175 km/h. National television has shown images of downed trees and residential areas inundated with muddy water.
China has been facing extreme weather conditions and record temperatures in recent months, which have been blamed on climate change, according to scientists. In early July, Beijing and surrounding areas experienced record temperatures of over 40°C.
Although extreme weather events are natural, experts note that global warming caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions is increasing in magnitude and frequency. The country is dealing with increasingly severe climate impacts, which highlights the importance of addressing climate change and taking measures to mitigate its effects.
