Major Flooding in China

Deadly Rainstorms, Flooding, Mudslides Plague Central, S and SW China

“Days of torrential rain in central China’s Hunan Province raised the water level of the Xiangjiang River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River, to exceed its record flood level Sunday morning [The water level in the section of the river in Changsha, capital of Hunan, reached 39.21 meters surpassing previous record set by a massive flood in 1998.]”

“Hunan has experienced severe flooding after ongoing torrential rain over the last 10 days. Since June 22, flooding has inundated parts of several cities, forced 311,300 people to evacuate, damaged 295,160 hectares of crops and destroyed 6,369 houses,” Xinhua reported.

“Hunan has experienced severe flooding after ongoing torrential rain over the last 10 days. Since June 22, flooding has inundated parts of several cities, forced 311,300 people to evacuate, damaged 295,160 hectares of crops and destroyed 6,369 houses.”

The latest round of torrential rains lashed 832 towns in southern and eastern Hunan province, and affected more than 230,000 people in 20 counties and districts in Guangxi province, leaving several dead or missing.

Links to Official Reports:

• Flood hits S China’s county due to consecutive heavy rains
•  Central China’s city witnesses heaviest flood
•  Major Yangtze River tributary breaks record flood level
•  China launches emergency response for flood relief
•  Flood hits Guizhou’s Yuqing County, SW China

 

Blizzards Destroy Homes, Decimate Crops in C. China

Snowstorm wreaks havoc across central China

Lingering winter storms have affected hundreds of thousands of people in central and southwest China provinces of Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou, destroying homes, blocking highways and decimating crops, Xinhua quoted the authorities as saying.

In Hubei Province alone the snowstorm and freezing rains have destroyed at least 188 houses and 28,000 hectares of crops since Tuesday, affecting 336,000 people, 495 of whom were forced to relocate, according to the Department of Civil Affairs of Hubei Province.

Winter storms have also affected Hunan Province, which neighbors Hubei, blocking several highways and cutting vegetable supplies to the cities, said the report.

Guizhou Province in southwest China has also issued warnings for icy roads, following days of freezing rain. “Its traffic and police authorities have initiated emergency responses to ensure traffic flows on highways.”

 

China’s Latest Drought Disaster Figures Confirm FIRE-EARTH Estimates

Drought affecting 27 mln people in China: Ministry of Civil Affairs

Persistent drought since  June has affected 27.11 million people in “11 provincial-level areas across China,” said the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA).

The drought has left 5.1 million people and  1.56 million livestock short of drinking water, with the direct economic losses put at 12.21 billion yuan (1.99 billion U.S dollars), MCA reported.

The drought has also damaged or destroyed 2.6 million hectares of crops nationwide, according to the report.

Original caption: Drought has affected the growth of corns in Dongshan Village of Pengshui County, southwest China’s Chongqing, Aug. 1, 2013. Lingering droughts in Chongqing have resulted in sever damage for crops and shortage of water supply. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng). More images…

See FIRE-EARTH post Major Catastrophe Unfolding in China, and  the related links.

Major Catastrophe Unfolding in China

Tens of millions affected by severe drought, heat wave in China

Drought has affected tens of millions of people in southern, southwestern, eastern and central China, leaving millions of people and livestock short of drinking water, and damaging or destroying millions of hectares of crops.

The drought is forecast to intensify and spread in the coming days and weeks, and heat wave to linger.

Original caption: A farmer pulls a cow to drink in a dried pool in Qianguang Village, Yuping County of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, July 29, 2013. Due to little rainfall and high temperature, 38 counties in Guizhou Province faced with serious drought in recent days. (Xinhua/Yao Lei). More images …

Shanghai, China’s financial capital, is set to have the hottest July on record.

• Shanghai saw a high of 39.1ºC on Monday, the 7th straight day for temperatures to remain above 38 degrees, and the longest period of on record.

Many cities in [neighboring] Zhejiang saw temperatures rise above 40 degrees Celsius on a couple days last week. Meanwhile, the heat is worsening the drought in the province, which received 74 percent less rain than normal in the first 29 days of July. (Xinhua)

Original caption: A boy sits on the chapped riverbeds near the Wantou Bridge over Yaojiang River in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, July 28, 2013. Unrelenting heat in Ningbo has drawn the water table of the Yaojiang River down and parts of the beds were chapped, which led to the death of mussels and fish. (Xinhua/Hu Xuejun)

Hunan meteorologic center issued orange alert for drought on Monday

Many cities in Hunan also endured record-high temperatures this month. The provincial capital Changsha reported temperatures at or above 35 degrees Celsius in all of the past 29 days.

Temperatures could climb to 41ºC in Hunan’s central and eastern parts, the report said.

The province also received over 70 percent less rain than normal this month, leaving 33 counties and cities to contend with a severe drought.

Original caption: A villager walks on a dried-up bed of Shima Reservoir at Shima Village of Shaoyang County, central China’s Hunan Province, July 27, 2013. A drought that has already lasted several weeks is continuing to linger in Hunan, leaving 533,000 people short of drinking water. (Xinhua/Zeng Yong). More images …

July Heat

At least 43 counties and cities in southern China have seen temperatures top 40ºC so far this month, said China’s National Meteorological Center.

Related Links

• More Disasters Hit China July 28, 2013
• Drought Drying Up Thousands of Rivers and Reservoirs in China  July 27, 2013
• Dozens Killed, Hundreds Injured in Gansu Quakes, China July 22, 2013
• Climate Catastrophes Cumulate in China   July 20, 2013
• Thousands of Towns and Villages Devastated by Floods in China July 18, 2013
• China to Become Top Wheat Importer after Major Crop Disaster July 17, 2013
• Fire Destroys 200 Houses in SW China July 17, 2013
• Flooding Destroys Town of Caopo in SW China July 16, 2013
• Typhoon SOULIK Affects 2 Million in China  July 15, 2013
• Hundreds of Thousands Evacuated as SOULIK Hits China July 13, 2013
• Extreme Weather Wreaks Havoc in SW China July 10, 201

.

Disaster Calendar: July 30, 2013

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN:  956 Days Left

FIRE-EARTH Climate Models show climate change forcings and feedbacks switching global weather patterns onto “primordial tracks.”

FIRE-EARTH Population Model shows mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

Critical Planetary Overload

• Critical Overload Threatens Planetary Life Support Systems
• RAPID CHANGE IN PROGRESS!

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Collapse in Progress

• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Drought Drying Up Thousands of Rivers and Reservoirs in China

Millions Short of Drinking Water in S, SW and Central China

Disastrous drought continues to plague parts of Guizhou, Hunan and Hubei provinces, affecting at least 12 million people.  More than 3 million people and 2 million livestock have been affected by severe shortages of drinking water, and the drought is expected to continue, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said. As of July 26, about 2.5 million hectares of farmland have also been affected.

• “Since the start of July, the amount of precipitation in those areas has been down dramatically from that recorded during the same period of last year, the headquarters said.”

• “In the coming days, droughts are likely to continue in those regions as high temperatures and little precipitation persist, according to the country’s weather forecasters.”

Guizhou Province: Persistent and widespread droughts in southwest China’s Guizhou Province have affected up to 10 million people in more than 200 counties since mid-June. More than 1 million people lack adequate supplies of drinking water, and about 600,000 hectares of crops is being lost or damaged by the drought, said the provincial government.

Hunan Province:  Severe drought has spread in central China’s Hunan Province leaving more 1.15 million people short of drinking water.

“Over 100 counties in 14 cities and prefectures in the province have been affected by the drought. About 6 million mu (400,000 hectares) of crops have also been affected and 311,000 heads of livestock lack adequate amounts of drinking water, according to the headquarters,” said a report.

“The extreme weather has also caused 186 rivers and 252 reservoirs to dry up.

“The province has sent 2.5 million people and 13,000 water tankers to irrigate croplands and provide water for 365,000 people, the headquarters said.”

YOU Could Be Next!

Original Caption:  Resident Lyu Youde walks on the dried-up pond bed at Jingtang Village of Wufengpu Town in Shaoyang County, central China’s Hunan Province, July 24, 2013. A drought that has lasted since early July has left 533,000 people short of drinking water in the province. 107 counties of 14 cities and prefectures in the province have been affected by the drought, with about 6027,000 hectares of crops damaged and 311,000 heads of livestock short of water. Also in the province, 186 rivers and 252 reservoirs are dry. (Xinhua/Li Ga). More images…

Related Links

• Drought Disaster 2013
• “Super heat wave hits many parts of China”
• China to Become Top Wheat Importer after Major Crop Disaster July 17, 2013

 

Drought, Rainstorms Affect Millions across CHINA

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – Sunday 12  May 2013

Drought Affecting 3.58 Million Hectares of Farmland

Scorching drought in China’s western and central regions has affected at least 3.58 million hectares of farmland, [that’s an area the size of Taiwan,] drought relief authorities said.

• Affected land used to grow crops totaled 2.13 million hectares, lower than the average acreage of 6.3 million hectares over the past few years, according to a statement from the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.”

• At least 5.54 million people and 3.99 million livestock in the two drought-stricken regions are currently short of drinking water, the report said.

Rainstorms Destroy Thousands of Homes, Affect one million in southern and eastern China

Extreme Rain Events have battered southern and eastern China since last week, destroying thousands of homes, and affecting at least a million people, said a report.

As of Saturday, rainstorms have affected about 850,000 people, toppled more than 2,200 homes and forced 14,000 citizens to relocate in Hunan.

Rainstorms have affected about 196,800 people in east China’s Jiangxi Province, local authorities said Saturday.

As of 11 p.m. Friday, the heavy rain, which started from Tuesday, has battered 26 counties in Jiangxi, the provincial flood prevention and drought control headquarters said.

The storms have destroyed about 20,000 hectares of crops, and left tens of thousands displaced.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events 

Calif. Homes Sinking In Volcanic Grounds, Lakeport Community Evacuated

Homes in Lake County, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, are breaking apart and sinking into cavernous fractures that had first appeared as cracks in the ground.

“We have a dormant volcano, and I’m certain a lot of things that happen here (in Lake County) are as a result of that, but we don’t know about that,” county public works director Scott De Leon told Yahoo News.

Associated Press/Rich Pedroncelli – In this photo taken Monday, May 6, 2013 Robin and Scott Spivey walk past the wreckage of their Tudor-style dream home they had to abandon when the ground gave way causing it to drop 10 feet below the street in Lakeport, Calif. Officials believe that water that has bubbled to the surface is playing a role, in the collapse of the hillside subdivision that has forced the evacuation of 10 homes and the notice of imminent evacuation of another 10 in this upscale subdivision. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli). More images…

-0-

At least 40 killed, 100 injured as explosions shake Turkish town

At least 46 people were killed and 100 others injured, 50 of them seriously, after 3 powerful explosions shook the Turkish town of Reyhanli in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, near the border with Syria, authorities have said.

-0-

Yet another deadly coal mine blast in China

Death toll from a coal mine explosion on Saturday in southwest China’s Sichuan Province rose to 27, local authorities said.

• The blast occurred in Taozigou colliery, Luxian County in the city of Luzhou, according to officials.

-0-

Bangladesh death toll rises to 1125

Death toll from the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose to 1,126 by 3:00pm ( local time) on Sunday, after 16 additional bodies were discovered in the rubble, 19 days after the building collapsed, officials said.

-0-

Novel Coronavirus Kills 2 More People in Saudi Arabia

Two more people have died from novel coronavirus (nCoV) in an outbreak in al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia, Reuters quoted a Saudi official as saying.

• The latest cluster of infections includes 15 confirmed cases, including 9 deaths, the official has reported.

From April 2012 to [May 8, 2013,] a total of 33 people from Saudi Arabia [2 others reported dead on May 12,] Qatar, Jordan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and France were confirmed to have an infection caused by the novel coronavirus, CDC reported.

• Saudi Arabia: 24 people; 13 of them died  [at least 15 dead as of May 12, 2013]
• Qatar: 2 people; both survived
• Jordan: 2 people; both died
• UK: 3 people; 2 died, 1 recovered
• UAE: 1 person; died
• France: 1 person, receiving treatment

Coronaviruses are a cause of the common cold. A coronavirus also was the cause of the severe respiratory illness called SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). SARS caused a global epidemic in 2003, but there have not been any known cases of SARS since 2004. This novel coronavirus is not the same coronavirus that caused SARS. —CDC

We know this virus has infected people since 2012, but we don’t know where this virus lives. We know that when people get infected, many of them develop severe pneumonia. What we don’t know is how often people might develop mild disease. We also know that most of the persons who have been infected so far have been older men, often with other medical conditions. We are not sure why we are seeing this pattern and if it will change over time. —WHO

The greatest global concern, however, is about the potential for this new virus to spread. This is partly because the virus has already caused severe disease in multiple countries, although in small numbers, and has persisted in the region since 2012. Of most concern, however, is the fact that the different clusters seen in multiple countries increasingly support the hypothesis that when there is close contact this novel coronavirus can transmit from person-to-person. This pattern of person-to- person transmission has remained limited to some small clusters and so far, there is no evidence that this virus has the capacity to sustain generalized transmission in communities. —WHO

-0-

DISASTER CALENDAR – May 12, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,035 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,035 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Million Homes Destroyed or Damaged in China Rainstorms

Rainstorms spawn flooding, landslides and avalanches wreaking havoc  affecting millions in China

Flooding, landslides, avalanches and torrents of mud triggered by extreme rain events in multiple regions of China have left dozens dead, scores of others injured, affecting millions of residents, with at least a million people displaced.

Original Caption: Rescuers convoy residents trapped by a rainstorm-triggered flood in the Huangpi District of Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, July 13, 2012. Many parts of the Huangpi District, a suburb of Wuhan, were inundated by flood following torrential rainstorms that have struck here for days. (Xinhua/Hao Tongqian)

The worst affected areas are

• Guizhou province in the southwest (more than a million affected)
• Hubei (more than 2 million affected) and Hunan provinces in central China
• East China’s Anhui province

The Central Meteorological Station has forecast heavy rains for large swaths of Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces as well as Shanghai Municipality for Saturday through late Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported. 

• See also: Epic flooding and massive landslides …  posted July 12, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Floods Affect Millions in East, South, SW and Central China

Storms, flooding and landslides leave many dead or missing around China

Extreme rain events in the Chinese provinces of Hunan, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Sichuan, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have triggered severe flooding and landslides, affecting  thousands of towns and villages, disrupting the lives of tens of millions of people, leaving many dead or missing, and forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate. The disasters have destroyed tens of thousands of homes, millions of hectares of crops and much of the infrastructures .

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Syria.  The joint proxy war waged by Saudi Arabia and Israel against Syria has entered a new phase. The head of UN peacekeeping operations has described the Syrian conflict as a “civil war.”
  • Meantime, Germany’s leading daily newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported the May 25 Houla massacre was perpetrated by opposition forces aligned with the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
  • “The report refutes the official account by the United States and other major powers and presented uncritically by the media. The massacre was attributed to pro-government forces and used to step up the propaganda offensive for military intervention against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Without providing any serious evidence, the US and its allies claimed that either the Syrian Army or pro-government Shabiha militas carried out the mass killing of over 100 people.” Said a report.
  • “The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung article is given additional weight by a report in Spiegel Online from March 29 pointing to the widespread practice of summary execution carried out by the FSA. Spiegel interviewed a member of an opposition ‘burial brigade’ who had ‘executed four men by slitting their throats.'”

• Gaza.  The water in Gaza is too contaminated to drink, says a joint report by the Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and Save the Children.
  •  The report “Gaza’s Children: Falling Behind” describes the impact of the ongoing blockade on the lives and health of Gaza’s children.
  • Gaza’s only fresh source of water is highly contaminated by fertilizer and human feces, the report says.
  • The number of children being treated for diarrhea has doubled in 5 years, and the levels of nitrates found in the water are responsible for to the doubling since the blockade began, according to the report.
  • Israel’s 5-year blockade is preventing crucial sanitation equipment from entering the territory, and Gaza’s sewage system is “completely broken.”
  • The report will be launched on June 20, 2012 at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, London, UK.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Thousands Evacuated as U.S. Wildfires Grow

Wildfires in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and California force thousands to evacuate, consume hundreds of structures

New Mexico. The Little Bear Fire located in Smokey Bear Ranger District, Lincoln National Forest, and the White Mountain Wilderness, has now grown to more than 26,000 acres (~ 41 sq miles; 105km²), destroying or damaging dozens of structures.

Evacuations: All campgrounds west of Bonito Lake; subdivisions of Villa Madonna, Enchanted Forest, Nogal Canyon (Forest Road 400, campground and summer homes), Angus, Sierra Vista, Sontara (1,2 and 3), Rancho Ruidoso, Copper Canyon, and Loma Grande; Eagle Lakes Campground, Eagle Creek summer homes, Ski Run Road (State Highway 532) at mile marker 3, State Highway 48 to Capitan, and State Highway 37 to Highway 380 and Ski Apache.

Shelters: First Baptist Church on Country Club Road, Church of Christ on Sudderth Road in Ruidoso, and Trinity Baptist Church in Capitan. Pets and livestock may be taken to J&J Country Church in Ruidoso, or the fairgrounds in Capitan.

The blaze is 0% contained, and is aided by air temps of 82ºF, relative humidity of less than 6 percent, and westerly winds of 20mph.

Colorado. The High Park Fire, located approximately 15 miles west of Fort Collins, was sparked Saturday June 9th  and has consumed  more than 20,000 acres (~ 31 sq miles; 81km²); the blaze continues to grow rapidly.

• The blaze has a HIGH growth potential among areas of rough terrain and beetle killed trees.
• The fire has damaged or destroyed at least 2 dozens structure, threatening many more.
• New evacuation order for the area south of County Road 38E from Gindler Ranch Road west to Milner Ranch Road (325 notifications). This area is located south and west of the Horsetooth Reservoir inlet. The High Park Fire is moving rapidly in this direction, Inciweb reported.
• Other evacuation orders include:
  • Crystal Mountain area including Crystal Mountain Road and the Upper Buckhorn. The burning pattern of High Park Fire could potentially cut off exit routes for residents in this area and they should leave now (24 notifications).
    
  • Any residents who have not already left the Crystal Mountain Area must now evacuate to the west on Buckhorn Road. County Road 27 is no longer passable so evacuation to the east is impossible.
  • Evacuation orders have also been issued for the Bonner Peak Subdivision (183 notifications), Buckhorn Rd from CR27 to Pennock Pass and residents to the south approximately 3/4-1 mile. (69 notifications). Evacuation order issued for the area North of CR38E, from Horsetooth Reservoir to Redstone Canyon to Lory State Park. (326 notifications)
  • Evacuations have been ordered for Stove Prairie Road north along County Road 27 to Highway 14, east along Highway 14 to approximately mile marker 111, southeast to Rist Canyon Fire Station 1, then back west to to include Wilderness Ridge Way, Rist Creek Road, Spring Valley Road and County Road 41 and all of the roads that run off of it.
  • All of Rist Canyon (west of 27E) and all roads off of it, including Whale Rock Road and Davis Ranch Road. South 3 additional miles on County Road 44H to just north of Stringtown Gulch Road.
  • At 11:10 P.M. an evacuation alert has been sent to the Poudre Park (along Highway 14) area from mile marker 111 to mile marker 118.
  • Additionally Highway 14 from Ted’s Place to Stove Prairie is closed, as well as Stove Prairie Road and Rist Canyon. Additional evacuations as of approximately 5 a.m. Sunday include all residents from County Road 27E to Bellvue and for the area south and west of Bellvue, including Lory State Park and Red Stone Canyon, and Buckhorn Road from Masonville up to Stove Prairie School.
  • Evacuation ordered for CR 29C and McMurry Ranch Road (33 notifications). Approximately 2,200 notifications (contacts, not residents) have been sent for evacuations on this fire.

Gila National Forest wildfire

New Mexico’s Gov. Martinez has already declared state of emergency in Catron County, where the largest wildfire in state’s history,  Gila National Forest wildfire (Whitewater Baldy Complex fire), has consumed about 280,000 acres, with 37% contained.

The fire is currently aided by air temps of 86ºF, relative humidity of less than 7 percent.

See also: Disaster Declared as Little Bear Fire Grows

Wyoming. A wildfire in Wyoming’s Guernsey State Park has consumed ABOUT 4,000 acres and forced the evacuation of up to 1,000 campers and visitors, AP reported.

Other Major Fires include

• Arizona. Gladiator – 16,240 acres – Prescott National Forest – 45% contained.

• California.  George Bush Fire – 1,707 acres – George Bush Tree/Golden Trout Wilderness – Sequoia National Forest – 85% contained.

• Colorado. Little Sand – 8,238 acres – San Juan National Forest – 13 miles NW of Pagosa Springs – 30% contained.

• Utah. Box Creek Fire – 5 miles west of Greenwich – 2,018 acres – 75% contained.

• Utah. Lost Lake Fires – 2,076 acres – Fishlake National Forest – 55% contained.

• Wyoming.  Cow Camp Fire – 8,493 acres – Medicine Bow – Routt National Forest – 20 Miles NE of Wheatland –  70% contained.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• China.  Extreme rain events in southern China have left large parts of Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou provinces submerged affecting millions of people.
  • Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
  • Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated.
  • Tens of thousands of hectares of crop have been destroyed.
  • Flooding in Hunan province triggered massive landslides blocking major railroads, including Hukun Railway, which connects Shanghai and Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, a report said.
  • The authorities reported about a dozen dead or missing.

• Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.Two earthquakes measuring 5.4 and 5.7Mw struck Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, about 175km north of Kabul.
  •  The quakes destroyed dozens of homes in Dara Azara, a remote village in the Baghlan province, burying about 100 people in the rubble, reports said.

Up-to-date weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa (ESRL/Global Monitoring Division)

• Week of June 3, 2012:     395.38 ppm
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     393.69 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     375.82 ppm

The graph, updated weekly, shows as individual points daily mean CO₂ up to and including the week (Sunday through Saturday) previous to today. The daily means are based on hours during which CO₂ was likely representative of “background” conditions, defined as times when the measurement is representative of air at mid-altitudes over the Pacific Ocean. That air has had several days time or more to mix, smoothing out most of the CO₂ variability encountered elsewhere, making the measurements representative of CO₂ over hundreds of km or more. The selection process is designed to filter out any influence of nearby emissions, or removals, of CO₂ such as caused by the vegetation on the island of Hawaii, and likewise emissions from the volcanic crater of Mauna Loa. The weekly mean (red bar) is simply the average of all days in the week for which a background value could be defined. The average standard deviation of day to day variability, calculated as the difference from the appropriate weekly mean, equals 0.38 ppm for the entire record. As a visual aid, the blue lines present monthly means of background data as they are presented under Recent Monthly CO₂ at Mauna Loa. PDF Version. ESRL/Mauna Loa Global Monitoring Division.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

China’s Drought Turning Critical

Drought: Turning up the heat in E China

No rain for East China anytime soon: Forecasters

Drought is wreaking havoc across Central, South and East China. Many of the vast regions lakes, stricken by the worst drought in living memory, have dried up affecting tens of millions of people and millions of their livestock. There’s no prospect for early rain, forecasters say.

The drought that has affected 35 million people across 5 provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, according to the country’s Meteorological officials.

“Among them, about 4.23 million are experiencing difficulties in finding drinking water and 5.06 million are in need of assistance,” said a report.

China Drought Monitor – Worsening Drought Conditions (January 10, 2011)

Source: Division of Climate Impact Assessment/NCC/CMA

“Since early January, precipitation in Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan provinces has been about 40 percent to 60 percent less than the same period last year, causing a 60-day drought, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.”

“China’s two largest fresh water lakes – Dongting Lake in Hunan and Poyang Lake in Jiangxi – are both drying up dramatically and, by Friday, 34.83 million people had been affected in the five provinces, the ministry said, citing reports from local civil affairs departments.” The report added.

The drought has affected about 4 million hectares (10 million acres) of crops, pushing up the vegetable prices by  “19 percent from May 23 to May 27,” according to the Baishazhou Market in Wuhan, capital of drought-hit Hubei in Central China.” The report added. 

Once A Lake!

Dried lake near Shijiao town of Qingyuan City, south China’s Guangdong Province.  (Xinhua/Li Zuomiao). Image may be subject to copyright.

The central government has ordered the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River to discharge more water to help irrigate some of the drought stricken croplands downstream; however, the  dam will run out of water if there is no rainfall before June 10, the Three Gorges Corporation has told China Daily.

Related News

• Provinces in southern China brace for drought
• No rain expected to ease China’s Yangtze drought  
• Drought hitting Chaohu Lake in E China
• China’s “land of fish and rice” parched by drought