Typhoon Gaemi has made landfall in eastern China’s Fujian province, causing widespread flooding and displacement, affecting over 620,000 people. Chinese authorities have taken extensive precautionary measures, evacuating nearly 300,000 residents and suspending public transportation in the affected regions. The typhoon brought torrential rains, with 72 towns in 15 districts of Fujian province recording accumulated rainfall exceeding 250 mm, and 12 towns experiencing over 400 mm, with the highest reaching 512.8 mm.The storm, which previously caused devastation in Taiwan and the Philippines, is now moving northwest at approximately 20 km/h and is expected to weaken gradually as it approaches Jiangxi province. The Chinese Meteorological authorities have issued warnings for heavy rainfall in several provinces, including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Henan.Prior to reaching China, Typhoon Gaemi claimed lives in neighboring countries. In Taiwan, at least five deaths were reported, while in the Philippines, the death toll reached 20 due to floods and landslides. Notably, a tanker carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil sank off the coast of Manila, raising concerns about potential environmental damage.China is experiencing a summer of extreme weather conditions, with heavy rains in the east and south, while most of the north suffers from heatwaves. As the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which scientists say is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense.Despite the extensive damage and disruption caused by Typhoon Gaemi, Chinese authorities have reported no casualties within the country as of the latest updates. However, the government has called for increased vigilance as China enters a critical period for flooding.
Key points
- Typhoon Gaemi has affected over 620,000 people in China’s Fujian province, with nearly 300,000 evacuated.
- The storm brought extreme rainfall, with some areas recording over 500mm of precipitation.
- Typhoon Gaemi previously caused fatalities in Taiwan and the Philippines, raising concerns about its impact in China.
- China is experiencing a summer of extreme weather, highlighting its vulnerability to climate change.
Contradictions👾While most sources report nearly 300,000 people evacuated in China, one source mentions 150,000 evacuations.
This discrepancy might be due to different reporting times or varying definitions of ‘evacuation’.
👾There are slight variations in the reported death tolls for Taiwan and the Philippines across different sources, which could be due to updates at different times.
