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EXTREME WEATHER IS “THE NEW NORMAL”
“These individual events fit a pattern of increasing extreme events due to climate change,” said Professor Matthias Roth from the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
“Such extreme weather will likely become the new normal in a warming world,” Prof Roth warned.
A warmer atmosphere is able to contain more moisture, which means hot weather and droughts could occur on the one hand – explained Prof Roth – and on the other, more intense rainfalls, leading to floods.
That is the situation in China, where part of the country has endured weeks of extreme heat – triggering forest fires and a drought – before being battered by rain.
Swathes of southern China experienced a heatwave for the history books this month when the region recorded its longest continuous period of high temperatures in more than 60 years.
Experts have said the heatwave’s intensity, scope and duration could make it one of the worst recorded in global history.
The Yangtze River basin, which stretches from coastal Shanghai to Sichuan province, has been most affected by the heat with water levels plunging.
The hot spell has hit the 370 million people who live close to the basin and several manufacturing hubs including the megacity Chongqing.
But Sichuan and Chongqing have gained relief from the heatwave – pummelled with heavy rain on Sunday that is forecast to extend into Tuesday and prompting the government to initiate an emergency flood-prevention response.
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