During the “Sanxia” period, which consists of planting, growing, and managing crops in the summer, the weather in various regions of China is unusually extreme. More than ten provinces in northern China have been hit by scorching heat and drought, affecting nearly 300 million people, with Henan province being particularly severely impacted. Meanwhile, southern provinces such as Guangdong and Fujian continue to face torrential rains, leading to widespread flooding and affecting millions of people.
Since June 8th, a heatwave has been sweeping across northern China. According to the China Meteorological Administration, as of June 14th, 228 national meteorological stations recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. By June 16th, the intensity of the heat in regions like North China and the Huang-Huai area began to decrease and narrow in scope. Starting from June 17th, the heatwave continued to intensify, with the hot weather centering around the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. On June 18th, daytime temperatures in these areas reached 35-38 degrees Celsius, and over the next three days, regions including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Henan, and Shandong will experience temperatures as high as 37-39 degrees Celsius.
The China Meteorological Administration has issued heatwave warnings for over ten consecutive days and activated a Level 3 emergency response for major meteorological disasters (meteorological drought) on June 18th. As Henan province is a major grain-producing region in China, it is expected to face over a month of low rainfall and dry conditions.
While the heatwave persists in the north, southern provinces such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Jiangxi have been hit by heavy rainfall since June 15th. Fujian, in particular, has endured consecutive days of heavy rain, leading to landslides and severe damage in many areas.
As of June 18th, according to official reports from the Chinese government, the floods in Guangdong and Fujian have resulted in at least 13 deaths and 23 people missing. The floods have also caused significant losses to crops and properties. In Fujian province alone, 523,700 people have been affected, with direct economic losses amounting to 5.654 billion yuan. Guangxi has seen 181,500 people affected, while Jiangxi province has reported 481,000 people affected.
However, due to the Chinese government’s consistent cover-ups and misinformation, observers believe that the actual losses from the floods are far more severe than officially reported. Some residents in Guangdong have questioned whether the authorities’ controlled release of floodwaters exacerbated the situation.
The meteorological department has forecast that in the coming days, there will be heavy rainfall in the upstream and mainstream areas of the Yangtze River basin.