In the southwestern province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and 12 others are missing after torrential rains caused flash floods, state news agency CGTN reported on Sunday. About 1,300 people had been evacuated since Saturday, the report said. Meanwhile, in the city of Longnan in the northwestern province of Gansu, six more deaths were reported and 3,000 people evacuated, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Rainfall in 1½ days was up to 98.9mm in the worst-hit areas, almost double the July average. The rains come amid a heat wave in parts of the country, including eastern Zhejiang province and the city of Shanghai, with temperatures reaching 42 C (107.6 F) last week. Heatwaves are expected to return this week to many parts of China, lasting until the end of August, the state meteorologist said. Temperatures of 39C to 42C (102.2F-107.6°F) are expected in the southern region after July 20, including Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. The sweltering heat will last for an “extended period” of 40 days, up from the usual 30, the forecaster said on its website. Experts say such extreme weather events are becoming more likely due to climate change. Warmer air can store more water, leading to larger cloudbursts when released. The floods add to economic woes caused in part by strict zero-Covid measures that limit travel and disrupt supply chains. A vehicle next to a bridge section that was swept away by floods in a river in Qingyang, northwest China’s Gansu Province, on Saturday. Photo: AP China is not the only country facing extreme weather events. Firefighters in Portugal, Spain, France, Greece and Morocco are battling forest fires raging across tens of thousands of hectares as this week’s heatwave continues to bring extreme temperatures and hundreds of deaths to southwestern Europe. The second heatwave of the summer – with temperatures reaching 47C in Portugal and 45C in Spain – has sparked wildfires that have forced the evacuation of thousands of people. In the UK, the first red alert for extreme heat has been put in place, with temperatures expected to reach 41C over the next two days, breaking the country’s heat records. In Germany, low water levels in the Rhine due to drought have disrupted the country’s commodity supply chain. Heat waves also hit the southern US. The Associated Press contributed to this report
