China strengthens disaster response amid extreme El Niño warnings

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a profound review of emergency protocols and improvements to early warning systems following a summer of extreme weather. The directive comes after Typhoon Dolphin forced the evacuation of over 1.6 million people in eastern China and caused record rainfall in Shanghai, resulting in dozens of fatalities.

Simultaneously, Chinese meteorological authorities are warning of an El Niño phenomenon that may reach “extreme intensity.” According to the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, current models suggest the phenomenon is already more intense than the historic 1997-1998 and 2015-2016 episodes. Projections indicate equatorial Pacific water temperatures could rise up to 3.5 degrees Celsius above normal.

Experts predict these climatic shifts will lead to significant precipitation changes, including increased rainfall in northern, northeastern, and Yangtze River Delta regions during the summer and autumn, while the middle reaches of the river may see decreased rainfall.