SHANGHAI: China’s Xinjiang province yesterday warned of more flash floods and mudslides and risks to agriculture as heatwaves swept across the region, accelerating the pace of glacial melt and posing hazards for its cotton production.
China has been baked by above-normal summer heat since June, with some meteorologists blaming climate change. The excessively hot weather has driven up demand for electricity to cool homes, offices and factories. In agricultural regions, drought has been a concern.
Xinjiang’s latest heatwaves have been particularly long lasting and widespread, Chen Chunyan, chief expert at the Xinjiang Meteorological Observatory, told state media.
She said the extreme weather in the south and east of the region, more than twice the size of France, has already lasted for about 10 days.
Xinjiang’s meteorological bureau renewed its red alert for the region – the highest in a three-tier heat warning system – yesterday, forecasting temperatures in Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu, and Bazhou could exceed 40C over the next 24 hours.
“Continued high temperature has accelerated glacial melting in mountainous areas, and caused natural disasters such as flash floods, mudslides, and landslides.”
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