Rain brings some relief to drought-hit parts of China

Heavy rains swept across parts of Sichuan, which has been suffering from a prolonged drought as a result of the worst heatwave in 6 decades

Prolonged temperatures of more than 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) have caused rivers and lakes to dry up, disrupting power supplies and threatening the autumn harvest

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Parts of Sichuan finally saw rain after a prolonged heatwave and drought. Photo: Weibo

Published: 9:30pm, 25 Aug 2022Updated: 9:54pm, 25 Aug 2022

Heavy rain fell in parts of the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Wednesday offering temporary relief from a persistent drought that has led to power cuts and threatened food supplies.

Central and northern parts of the province have experienced heavy rain that hit cities including Guangyuan, Mianyang, and the provincial capital Chengdu, forcing 30,000 residents to be evacuated overnight.

Sichuan’s meteorological station issued a blue rainstorm warning at about 4pm on Wednesday – the fourth level under the country’s four-tier warning system – meaning that more than 50 millimetres (1.97 inches) of rain would fall within 12 hours.

Meanwhile, the neighbouring municipality of Chongqing reported light showers as a result of efforts by the authorities to induce artificial rain, but record temperatures continued and the city’s meteorological centre said heavier rains would not come until Friday.

Chongqing and Sichuan, along with parts of southern China, have been experiencing the country’s worst heatwave in six decades.

On Wednesday, Qu county in Sichuan recorded temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the province’s record high temperature that had only been set last week.

Most districts in Chongqing have also seen temperatures of above 40 degrees, with Beibei logging 45 degrees on Thursday – the highest temperature ever recorded in the municipality.