China Meteorological Administration: "Heat Dome Trapped Between High-Pressure Systems Caused Heavy Rain in Henan Province"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has stated that the cause of the heavy rain in Henan Province, which resulted in more than 25 deaths, was a large-scale "heat dome phenomenon" formed over central China. They warned that due to global warming, more heat dome phenomena could occur across China in the future, potentially increasing heavy rain damage.

According to the state-run Global Times on the 22nd, the CMA said in a statement, "The heavy rain in Henan Province was caused by a heat dome phenomenon formed by the subtropical high pressure system from the North Pacific and the continental high pressure system from Tibet, which stalled over central Henan Province." They added, "Additionally, Typhoon In-fa approaching from southern Fujian Province supplied abundant moisture, resulting in concentrated heavy rainfall."

The heat dome phenomenon occurs when a high-pressure system with hot and humid characteristics covers an entire region, causing atmospheric circulation to stagnate. This year, due to intensified global warming, both the continental high pressure from Tibet and the North Pacific high pressure have expanded their influence in hot and humid forms, acting as the main causes of heatwaves and heavy rains across Northeast Asia.

In Henan Province, as the rain began to subside, China News Network reported that the economic damage caused by this heavy rain was estimated at 550 million yuan (approximately 96 billion KRW). About 75,000 hectares (ha) of farmland were flooded, and 1.24 million people were affected by the disaster.

In particular, in Zhengzhou City, the capital of Henan Province, which suffered the most damage, 25 people died, including 12 passengers trapped in the subway due to the heavy rain, and 7 people remain missing.

The CMA emphasized, "Due to the effects of global warming, unprecedented extreme temperatures, heavy rains, and super typhoons will occur in the future, and effectively predicting these events is a problem that the entire world must solve together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.