Key facts
- China is bracing for Super Typhoon Bavi, expected to bring more extreme weather.
- Scientists warn climate change and El Nino are fueling more frequent and intense storms.
- Typhoon Maysak caused significant flooding and damage in southern China last week.
- The National Climate Center predicts an above-average number of typhoons in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea this July.
- Experts anticipate unprecedented rainfall, triggering floods, landslides, and crop damage.
Southern China is grappling with severe flooding, with the imminent arrival of Super Typhoon Bavi expected to exacerbate the situation. Scientists warn that climate change, coupled with the emergence of the El Nino weather pattern, is leading to more frequent and intense typhoons, posing a significant threat to the country's infrastructure and communities.
China's National Climate Center predicts an above-average number of typhoons forming in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea in July, with a higher likelihood of them making landfall and exhibiting greater intensity. This year is of particular concern due to El Nino, which could drive up temperatures and fuel more powerful storms.
Super Typhoon Bavi, measuring over 1,000 km in diameter, is anticipated to make landfall soon. Last week, Typhoon Maysak caused widespread damage in the Guangxi region, resulting in at least six deaths and affecting 375,000 people. The remnants of Maysak also spawned tornadoes inland.
Experts like Benjamin Horton highlight that the increasing magnitude and frequency of these events leave little time for recovery and resilience-building. Hui Su, a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, noted that the current season is already more intense than typical years, with El Nino shifting typhoon tracks westward toward China's coast and climate change making storms wetter and more destructive. The United Nations weather agency has also raised its forecast for a strong El Nino occurrence in the coming months.