Rain, rain, and more rain... Problems continue in China by Darren Bett
Torrential rain has been causing huge problems in Taiwan and eastern parts of China during the past week. Widespread flooding and landslides have toppled trees and severely disrupted power and telecommunication networks. The worst damage, however, has been the destruction of 200,000 homes in China’s Jiangsu province, leaving 825,000 people homeless and in need of shelter.
The rains have by no means eased, with Peimen Township in Taiwan recording 174mm (around 7 inches) of rain yesterday, bringing the total amount of rain fallen in the past four days to 1 metre. The forecast is not looking very promising either, with a slow moving band of heavy rain drifting across the area over the next few days.
The hot and moist body of air that is plaguing eastern China with heavy rain has brought some rather high temperatures to the northern province of Hebei. Yesterday, temperatures reached 38C (100F) in Hebei’s principal city of Shijiazhuang, with state weather officials warning of heatstroke in the sweltering conditions.
Meanwhile, western parts of Argentina are at the other end of the temperature scale at the moment. A winter storm has brought heavy snow and strong winds, particularly to higher elevations, with 2,500 trucks abandoned across the traversing roads of the Andes mountains. In neighbouring Chile, the eastern town of Los Libertadores has had over 1.7 metres of snow.
There may be a temporary respite in these wintry conditions, but another area of low pressure looks set to give a repeat performance at the weekend.
Closer to home, Spain is scorched by drought at the moment. Having had its driest winter and spring for more than 60 years, reservoirs are only 20% full in some places. This is raising huge concerns amongst the agricultural community, where £1 billion has already been lost to failed crops. With little more than a few showers forecast over the next five days, no significant rainfall is on the horizon.
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