When heavy rains brought flood hazards to a region of southwest China that had been plagued by a heatwave and drought for the most of the summer, more than 100,000 people had already been relocated to safer regions by Monday.
Parts of Sichuan province and Chongqing city were expected to see heavy rain until at least Tuesday. A flash flood warning was issued for both days in Chongqing, a megacity situated in a steep region that also has a commanding view of the mountains and surrounding farmland.
According to the Sichuan emergency management agency, 119,000 individuals had been evacuated as of Monday. According to official broadcaster CCTV, 18.8 cm (7.4 inches) of rain fell in one town under the control of Guangyuan city. The drought had the greatest impact on this city, one of just two in Sichuan.
Of Sichuan, Chongqing, and the nearby provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi to the north, the national level IV emergency response for floods—the lowest in a four-tier system—is in force. According to the official Xinhua News Agency, the hard, sun-baked earth left behind by the heatwave increases the likelihood of natural catastrophes when it rains.
After two weeks of limitations due to decreased hydropower production, full electricity was restored to enterprises in Sichuan as a result of the weather change, providing some reprieve from the heat.
Farmers whose rice, fiery Sichuan peppers, and other crops were wilting due to China protracted drought that left local reservoirs primarily made of cracked soil should benefit from the rain.
The greatest heat wave to hit China since records started kept there in 1961, according to meteorologists, saw temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
According to CCTV, power for commercial and industrial usage in Sichuan “has been totally restored.” The need for air conditioning among households decreased as temperatures stabilized and showers began to top out hydropower reservoirs.
According to the official broadcaster, hydropower output in the province has increased by 9.5% from its low point. According to the study, Zhao Hong, marketing director for State Grid’s Sichuan division, daily residential energy consumption fell by 28% from a high of 473 million to 340 million kilowatt hours.
According to Zhao, “the imbalance between Sichuan’s electricity supply and demand will essentially be addressed in the next three days.”
Sichuan utilities increased their reliance on coal-fired power facilities as a result of the declining hydropower output, temporarily impeding attempts to cut carbon and other pollutants.
According to Caixin, a Chinese business news magazine, with 67 producing stations operating at full capacity, the proportion of electricity produced by coal in Sichuan has increased from 10% to 25%.
Sichuan typically receives 80% of its electricity from hydropower, making it a clean energy success story in China.