China to enhance capabilities in coping with extreme weather

BEIJING — China will double down efforts to enhance its capabilities in coping with extreme weather, as global warming drives more frequent, widespread, intense, and concurrent events.

Research indicates that since 2011, the area in China receiving between 400 and 800 mm of annual precipitation has significantly increased in size. Meanwhile, extreme heavy rainfall is triggering longer, more destructive, and more hazardous cascading disaster chains, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

Although with nine Fengyun meteorological satellites, 842 weather radars and over 90,000 ground-based meteorological stations in service, China's detection rate for severe weather has reached 83 percent, accurate forecasting and early warnings for extreme weather events involving complex terrain and unusual atmospheric circulation patterns continue to be a major challenge, the administration said.

China will enhance its meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and early-warning systems in key areas, including regions prone to flash floods and geological disasters, as well as major urban flood control zones, said the administration.

It also noted that efforts should be made to enhance urban capacity to absorb, retain, and purify water, while improving flood control through well-planned infrastructure, dedicated drainage pathways, and raised flood resilience standards for buildings.