Comment China is suffering its worst drought on record as high temperatures dry up key parts of the Yangtze River, damaging crops and limiting drinking water supplies in some rural communities. The worst-hit areas are in China’s central and southern provinces, where a prolonged heat wave has worsened drought conditions, authorities said. Chinese officials this week announced what they said were several new measures to mitigate the impact, including financial aid, cloud formation and the shutdown of some energy-intensive industries. China closes factories, runs on electricity as heat wave chokes economy In Hubei, central China, authorities said they would sow clouds to trigger new rains after 4.2 million people were found to be affected by drought. The southwestern province of Sichuan, which relies heavily on hydropower, also ordered factories in 19 cities and counties to shut down until Saturday to preserve electricity for the public. The temperature in a neighboring region reached 45 degrees Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit, the China Meteorological Administration said Thursday. The Treasury also pledged this week to distribute about $44 million in disaster relief to affected communities. The crisis follows years of warnings from experts that China, the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter, will face extreme weather as a result. Beijing has presented itself as a leader in tackling climate change, but it has also continued to build coal-fired power plants that produce carbon dioxide, mercury and other harmful emissions. Jin Xiandong, a spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Tuesday that the lack of hydropower generation has increased the country’s dependence on coal. The Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest hydroelectric project, said it would increase water releases in the coming days to help downstream basins, Reuters reported. China’s summer floods and heat waves are fueling plans for a changing climate In Hubei, the provincial emergency department also said this week that nearly 400,000 hectares of crops have already been damaged and that more than 150,000 people now have limited access to drinking water. The local government will also attempt cloud seeding, a process that involves shooting rods of silver iodide into the sky to initiate new rainfall. But in some areas along the Yangtze, cloud cover appeared too thin for seeding, CNN reported. China has practiced weather manipulation in the past, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when 21 government stations fired rockets into the clouds above the Bird’s Nest outdoor stadium to stop rain during the Opening Ceremonies.

title: “China S Yangtze River Is Drying Up Amid Scorching Temperatures Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-29” author: “Justin Beaty”

Comment China is suffering its worst drought on record as high temperatures dry up key parts of the Yangtze River, damaging crops and limiting drinking water supplies in some rural communities. The worst-hit areas are in China’s central and southern provinces, where a prolonged heat wave has worsened drought conditions, authorities said. Chinese officials this week announced what they said were several new measures to mitigate the impact, including financial aid, cloud formation and the shutdown of some energy-intensive industries. China closes factories, runs on electricity as heat wave chokes economy In Hubei, central China, authorities said they would sow clouds to trigger new rains after 4.2 million people were found to be affected by drought. The southwestern province of Sichuan, which relies heavily on hydropower, also ordered factories in 19 cities and counties to shut down until Saturday to preserve electricity for the public. The temperature in a neighboring region reached 45 degrees Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit, the China Meteorological Administration said Thursday. The Treasury also pledged this week to distribute about $44 million in disaster relief to affected communities. The crisis follows years of warnings from experts that China, the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter, will face extreme weather as a result. Beijing has presented itself as a leader in tackling climate change, but it has also continued to build coal-fired power plants that produce carbon dioxide, mercury and other harmful emissions. Jin Xiandong, a spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Tuesday that the lack of hydropower generation has increased the country’s dependence on coal. The Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest hydroelectric project, said it would increase water releases in the coming days to help downstream basins, Reuters reported. China’s summer floods and heat waves are fueling plans for a changing climate In Hubei, the provincial emergency department also said this week that nearly 400,000 hectares of crops have already been damaged and that more than 150,000 people now have limited access to drinking water. The local government will also attempt cloud seeding, a process that involves shooting rods of silver iodide into the sky to initiate new rainfall. But in some areas along the Yangtze, cloud cover appeared too thin for seeding, CNN reported. China has practiced weather manipulation in the past, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when 21 government stations fired rockets into the clouds above the Bird’s Nest outdoor stadium to stop rain during the Opening Ceremonies.

title: “China S Yangtze River Is Drying Up Amid Scorching Temperatures Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-09” author: “Jessica Hess”

Comment China is suffering its worst drought on record as high temperatures dry up key parts of the Yangtze River, damaging crops and limiting drinking water supplies in some rural communities. The worst-hit areas are in China’s central and southern provinces, where a prolonged heat wave has worsened drought conditions, authorities said. Chinese officials this week announced what they said were several new measures to mitigate the impact, including financial aid, cloud formation and the shutdown of some energy-intensive industries. China closes factories, runs on electricity as heat wave chokes economy In Hubei, central China, authorities said they would sow clouds to trigger new rains after 4.2 million people were found to be affected by drought. The southwestern province of Sichuan, which relies heavily on hydropower, also ordered factories in 19 cities and counties to shut down until Saturday to preserve electricity for the public. The temperature in a neighboring region reached 45 degrees Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit, the China Meteorological Administration said Thursday. The Treasury also pledged this week to distribute about $44 million in disaster relief to affected communities. The crisis follows years of warnings from experts that China, the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter, will face extreme weather as a result. Beijing has presented itself as a leader in tackling climate change, but it has also continued to build coal-fired power plants that produce carbon dioxide, mercury and other harmful emissions. Jin Xiandong, a spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Tuesday that the lack of hydropower generation has increased the country’s dependence on coal. The Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest hydroelectric project, said it would increase water releases in the coming days to help downstream basins, Reuters reported. China’s summer floods and heat waves are fueling plans for a changing climate In Hubei, the provincial emergency department also said this week that nearly 400,000 hectares of crops have already been damaged and that more than 150,000 people now have limited access to drinking water. The local government will also attempt cloud seeding, a process that involves shooting rods of silver iodide into the sky to initiate new rainfall. But in some areas along the Yangtze, cloud cover appeared too thin for seeding, CNN reported. China has practiced weather manipulation in the past, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when 21 government stations fired rockets into the clouds above the Bird’s Nest outdoor stadium to stop rain during the Opening Ceremonies.

title: “China S Yangtze River Is Drying Up Amid Scorching Temperatures Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-24” author: “Flossie Collins”

Comment China is suffering its worst drought on record as high temperatures dry up key parts of the Yangtze River, damaging crops and limiting drinking water supplies in some rural communities. The worst-hit areas are in China’s central and southern provinces, where a prolonged heat wave has worsened drought conditions, authorities said. Chinese officials this week announced what they said were several new measures to mitigate the impact, including financial aid, cloud formation and the shutdown of some energy-intensive industries. China closes factories, runs on electricity as heat wave chokes economy In Hubei, central China, authorities said they would sow clouds to trigger new rains after 4.2 million people were found to be affected by drought. The southwestern province of Sichuan, which relies heavily on hydropower, also ordered factories in 19 cities and counties to shut down until Saturday to preserve electricity for the public. The temperature in a neighboring region reached 45 degrees Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit, the China Meteorological Administration said Thursday. The Treasury also pledged this week to distribute about $44 million in disaster relief to affected communities. The crisis follows years of warnings from experts that China, the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter, will face extreme weather as a result. Beijing has presented itself as a leader in tackling climate change, but it has also continued to build coal-fired power plants that produce carbon dioxide, mercury and other harmful emissions. Jin Xiandong, a spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Tuesday that the lack of hydropower generation has increased the country’s dependence on coal. The Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest hydroelectric project, said it would increase water releases in the coming days to help downstream basins, Reuters reported. China’s summer floods and heat waves are fueling plans for a changing climate In Hubei, the provincial emergency department also said this week that nearly 400,000 hectares of crops have already been damaged and that more than 150,000 people now have limited access to drinking water. The local government will also attempt cloud seeding, a process that involves shooting rods of silver iodide into the sky to initiate new rainfall. But in some areas along the Yangtze, cloud cover appeared too thin for seeding, CNN reported. China has practiced weather manipulation in the past, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when 21 government stations fired rockets into the clouds above the Bird’s Nest outdoor stadium to stop rain during the Opening Ceremonies.

title: “China S Yangtze River Is Drying Up Amid Scorching Temperatures Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-17” author: “Amy Guthrie”

Comment China is suffering its worst drought on record as high temperatures dry up key parts of the Yangtze River, damaging crops and limiting drinking water supplies in some rural communities. The worst-hit areas are in China’s central and southern provinces, where a prolonged heat wave has worsened drought conditions, authorities said. Chinese officials this week announced what they said were several new measures to mitigate the impact, including financial aid, cloud formation and the shutdown of some energy-intensive industries. China closes factories, runs on electricity as heat wave chokes economy In Hubei, central China, authorities said they would sow clouds to trigger new rains after 4.2 million people were found to be affected by drought. The southwestern province of Sichuan, which relies heavily on hydropower, also ordered factories in 19 cities and counties to shut down until Saturday to preserve electricity for the public. The temperature in a neighboring region reached 45 degrees Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit, the China Meteorological Administration said Thursday. The Treasury also pledged this week to distribute about $44 million in disaster relief to affected communities. The crisis follows years of warnings from experts that China, the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter, will face extreme weather as a result. Beijing has presented itself as a leader in tackling climate change, but it has also continued to build coal-fired power plants that produce carbon dioxide, mercury and other harmful emissions. Jin Xiandong, a spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Tuesday that the lack of hydropower generation has increased the country’s dependence on coal. The Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest hydroelectric project, said it would increase water releases in the coming days to help downstream basins, Reuters reported. China’s summer floods and heat waves are fueling plans for a changing climate In Hubei, the provincial emergency department also said this week that nearly 400,000 hectares of crops have already been damaged and that more than 150,000 people now have limited access to drinking water. The local government will also attempt cloud seeding, a process that involves shooting rods of silver iodide into the sky to initiate new rainfall. But in some areas along the Yangtze, cloud cover appeared too thin for seeding, CNN reported. China has practiced weather manipulation in the past, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when 21 government stations fired rockets into the clouds above the Bird’s Nest outdoor stadium to stop rain during the Opening Ceremonies.