From heavy floods to tornadoes and typhoons: How a faster-warming China is battling more climate extremes

From heavy floods to tornadoes and typhoons: How a faster-warming China is battling more climate extremes Floods, fierce storms and rising temperatures are signs of a landmass country warming faster than the global average, experts say. SINGAPORE: From twin tornadoes tearing through parts of central Hubei province to torrential rains and heavy floods forcing more than 260,000 people to evacuate their homes and causing a mass snake escape in Guangxi as well as scorching heatwaves gripping multiple regions, China has been battered by a succession of extreme weather events in recent weeks. Scientists say these increasingly volatile conditions have been unfolding as the country warms faster than the global average. From 1961 to 2025, China’s annual average temperature increased by 0.31 degrees Celsius per decade, exceeding the global average temperature rate over the same period, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) in its annual Blue Book on Climate Change monitoring and assessment report that was released on Jul 2. China’s average temperature in 2025 ranked among the country’s two warmest years since nationwide records began in 1901, the report said, also noting that northern China warmed faster than the south - and western parts experienced faster warming than the east. China’s vast landmass is one reason why it’s warming faster than the global average, said Professor Benjamin Horton from the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), also dean of its School of Energy and Environment. “Land warms faster than oceans,” he said. “Because China is a large continental landmass, it experiences stronger warming than the global average.” "The rate of warming matters because societies, infrastructure, ecosystems and economies (must) adapt gradually," said Horton. “The concern is no longer simply that summers are hotter,” he added. “The climate baseline itself is shifting so quickly that extremes once considered rare are becoming normal.” FROM TYPHOONS AND TORNADOES TO RISING HEAT China has witnessed a rise in both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events. In 2025, 11 of 27 typhoons that formed over the northwest Pacific and South China Sea made landfall in China, CMA said. Just last week, Typhoon Maysak struck Hainan, an island province in southern China - before sweeping into Guangxi, where it caused the greatest damage. As of Jul 9, local officials confirmed that the typhoon left at least 39 dead, according to Chinese state media reports. Two tornadoes bore through parts of Hubei on Jul 6, leaving at least 11 dead and injuring hundreds of others. Harrowing accounts also emerged from the disaster. A 30-year-old man was swept out of his apartment in Huanggang city and later taken to hospital for emergency treatment. Other residents described helplessly watching as people were swept into the sky, and windows and roofs were blown off buildings. “It was all over in three to five minutes, but it dealt a catastrophic blow,” said one resident. But scientists said such destructive storms are only one manifestation of a broader trend. Sweltering heat is projected to hit parts of the country this month - and the first national-level heat health risk warning of the year was issued on Jul 14. Shanghai registered 37 degrees Celsius on Jul 15 while temperatures in parts of northwestern China are expected to climb as high as 44 degrees Celsius, officials said. CMA weather forecast figures showed similar highs of 37 to 38 degrees Celsius hitting Sichuan’s capital city Chengdu this week. Photos and videos posted on Xiaohongshu showed parts of the Chengdu Metro underground cordoned off for commuters to rest and seek relief from suffocating humidity and heat. Up north in Shanxi province, a residential complex adopted a high-pressure misting sprinkler system, aimed at reducing surface temperatures by 5 to 8 degrees within minutes. According to state-owned China National Radio, the system was installed in 2024 and operates during summer months - covering all eight buildings in the complex. Each building is fitted with over 200 sets of high-pressure atomizing nozzles on rooftops - allowing it to create mists that dissipate heat from the surrounding air. “Urbanisation and heat island effects” contribute significantly to high humidity and temperatures, noted CityUHK’s Horton. “Rapid expansion of cities, concrete surfaces, and reduced vegetation make urban areas substantially hotter than surrounding rural regions, especially during heatwaves,” he said. Shenzhen is currently experiencing “high humidity” and the city has been on watch for heatstroke cases and risks. The current hot weather can “significantly increase the risk of severe heatstroke”, authorities said, adding that the rise in temperatures have made it unsuitable for outdoor activities like hiking and mountain climbing. Emergency services said teams had responded to nearly 40 calls for assistance between Jul 1 to Jul 12 - from people at heatstroke risks due to the stifling heat. In a statement shared on WeChat, Shenzhen Emergency Medical Centre said it received 19 calls from people suffering from heatstroke on Jul 11. REALITY CHECK ON CHINA’S CLIMATE GOALS Addressing the United Nations last September, President Xi Jinping said the country plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7 per cent to 10 per cent below its peak emissions by 2035. Heavily reliant on coal, China is the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, having overtaken the US in 2006. In 2021, it set dual goals of reaching peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Alongside its emission reduction goals, China also plans to increase wind and solar power and boost its share of non-fossil fuels in domestic energy consumption to over 30 per cent, Xi said. “Green and low-carbon transformation is the trend of our times,” Xi said, also calling out “some countries” for moving against the global clean energy transition. “The international community should stay on the right track, maintain unwavering confidence, unwavering action, and undiminished efforts,” he added. China “deserves credit for making substantial progress” on its climate pledges but it remains the world’s largest annual emitter of greenhouse gases, said CityUHK’s Horton, adding that coal still plays a major role in energy security and industrial development. “Progress is real, but so is the magnitude of ongoing emissions,” Horton said. “Ultimate success”, he adds, will depend on “how quickly renewable expansion translates into sustained reductions in absolute emissions”. “China should continue to deploy renewable energy and energy storage - and reduce its dependence on coal,” Horton added. The country could also combat rising temperatures by improving building efficiency and urban designs - such as cooling centres, green roofs, urban forests and reflective materials. “China is no longer confronting a future climate problem,” he said. “It is managing a present day climate problem.”