China Travel Alert: Tourist Spots Closed, Flights Cancelled Amid Heavy Rains and Storms
New Delhi: Extreme weather is battering China travel, with flights canceled and travel warnings issued amid storm threats. The severe conditions have led to the closure of tourist spots and significant disruptions in travel. Heavy rains lashing China have resulted in at least 26 deaths in the past week, causing severe flooding in city streets and threatening farming and industrial activity. Additionally, two more tropical storms are approaching the nation, exacerbating the situation.
Tropical Storm Prapiroon is expected to make landfall near the border of China and Vietnam on Tuesday. Another system, Gaemi, has already caused heavy rainfall and flight cancellations in the northern Philippines, with warnings in Taiwan about potential impacts before it moves toward China. In the northern metropolis of Zhengzhou, schools and tourist spots were closed last week, and cars were inundated on roads and parking lots. At least 14 people in Sichuan and a dozen in Shaanxi died over the weekend due to flooding and a bridge collapse.
The extreme weather poses significant risks, including potential damage to croplands, coal mines, fishing boats, and offshore oil platforms, according to China’s National Mine Safety Administration. The heavy precipitation could impact coal mining in Shaanxi, China’s third-largest production hub, as well as hydropower generation, which has already surged by 21% in the first half of the year. Gaemi’s projected path across the Taiwan Strait threatens areas with numerous offshore wind turbines.
Rainfall may also affect corn and soybean growth in the north and rice production in the south, compounding issues from recent heat waves and droughts that have already damaged crops in major agricultural areas. China has experienced significant extreme weather this year, leaving behind damaged farms and infrastructure. With a long history of battling flooding, meteorologists warn that climate change will exacerbate these extreme weather patterns, leading to even more severe fluctuations.
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