Heavy rain, heat waves and tornadoes hit the super urban area south of Guangzhou this week, forcing millions of people to evacuate, damaging property and cultivated land.
China's state broadcaster on June 17 reported that southern China is expected to see heavy rains from now until June 21, while there is still no immediate solution for large areas and crowded areas flooded during heavy rains over the past week.
Authorities have issued warnings about extreme weather events since April, ahead of the rainy season signaling a transition from spring to summer in June.
Local media reported that late on June 16, a tornado devastated areas of Guangzhou, which were suffering from record-breaking rain, cutting off power to more than 5,400 users in the large southern city.
According to local media in Guangzhou, dangerous water levels with high waves in the Chau Giang River basin forced the central government to send flood prevention staff to support.
An observation site in the city recorded a 2.45-meter high wave on June 14, the highest in 20 years.
The weather forecast agency in the nearby Fujian province warned on June 16 that the recent record rainfall will continue into next week, leading to a high risk of natural disasters.
Disaster warnings issued by other provinces this week have prompted emergency relief efforts as streets are submerged in water, highways are isolated and agricultural land is flooded.
Meanwhile, temperatures in Central and Northern China are expected to reach unusually highs next week, reaching over 40 degrees Celsius.
Unusually hot weather has engulfed the capital Trinh Chau of Ha Nam province, which suffered record amounts of rain and was paralyzed by terrible floods last summer.
China has a history of being prone to flooding. Recently, this country has become more vulnerable to deforestation, exploitation of flooded areas and water storage for power generation and irrigation.
The reason is believed to be due to climate change increasing extreme weather phenomena when rainfall and temperature reach new highs.
"Climate change has brought serious negative impacts to China's natural ecosystem, continuing to spread and penetrate the economy and society," the government said in its national climate change adaptation strategy released on June 13.
The document said that climate change not only creates long-term challenges but also makes China more vulnerable to "ising and extreme" events. Infectious diseases, pests, and harsh weather are also increasingly dangerous to public health.
The document said that the government will modernize climate-related disaster prevention systems and reduce the vulnerability of the economy as well as natural ecosystems.
China will also aim to build a nationwide climate risk and impact assessment system by 2035, and will require major projects to include climate in environmental impact assessments.
The document said that China will increase supervision at rivers and lakes to strengthen flood control and improve water security. China will also reform water prices and impose binding consumption targets in key regions, aiming to reduce water intensity - the amount of water used per economic growth unit - 16% in the period of 2021-2025.
China - the world's largest carbon emitter - has pledged to reach a greenhouse gas peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
