Guangdong province in southern China has once more experienced severe flooding, two months after the late April floods and landslides led to more than 50 deaths.
On Sunday 16 June, heavy rainfall affected the area, with an average of 199mm falling in Pingyuan county. The town of Sishui experienced the highest rainfall totals of 367mm, with three others in the area recording more than 300mm.
Rain continued to fall throughout the rest of the week, leading to severe flooding, landslides and mudslides as the Shiku and Songyuan rivers topped their banks. So far, 47 deaths have been linked to the flood, mostly in Meizhou city, with an estimated direct economic loss of $500m (£400m).
Meanwhile, northern China is suffering from severe drought after weeks of scarce rainfall and extreme heat. Since the start of June, the area has been experiencing temperatures in the 30s and 40s celsius, leading to an ongoing heatwave affecting crops, the energy sector and public health.
So far, 72 weather stations have recorded severe drought conditions in Henan province, with more than 20 stations in neighbouring Hebei and Shandong observing record temperatures this month.
The agricultural industry is particularly concerned about this drought, as the time between mid-May and mid-June is the harvest and when the planting of autumn crops begins.
South Korea has also been experiencing significant heat this month, and the national meteorological administration has said it is the warmest June on record.
On Wednesday 19 June there were heatwave warnings issued for 92 regions across South Korea. Several cities have broken their June temperature records, including Gwangju, which reached 37.2C (99F), and Dajeon, which peaked at 36.1C.
Although the capital, Seoul, did not quite set a new record, this marked the hottest June day since 1958, with highs of 35.6C. The heat was caused by high pressure in conjunction with warm westerly winds.
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Other parts of the world have also been experiencing heatwaves, with temperatures soaring across India, Mexico, the US, the Middle East, north Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean.
Source: theguardian.com
