In the first half of this year, Chongqing was impaired by natural disasters for 50 times, such as floods, hailstorms, droughts, mountain collapses, landslides, and forest fires, among which floods occurred for 18 times. According to the press conference on disaster prevention and control in the high-temperature and flood season 2020 on July 15, July and August mark a critical period for natural disaster prevention in Chongqing. From late July, most parts of Chongqing will see high temperatures on certain days. The extreme temperatures on level ground and in river valleys can reach 42°C. From July to September, floods and droughts will coexist or alternate. The western, southwest, and southeast regions will be hit by heavy rains and floods, with the Qiongjiang, Qijiang, Puli, Meixi, Apeng, and Youshui rivers near danger level and the trunk streams and tributaries of the Yangtze, Jialing and Wujiang rivers facing a high probability of floods. Some areas may also experience severe autumn droughts.

Most areas will experience both high temperatures and heavy rains from late July

According to Yang Zhi, deputy director of Chongqing Meteorological Service, most areas of Chongqing will see high temperatures on certain days from late July. From July to September, Chongqing will suffer 4-6 regional rainstorms.

Chongqing has witnessed heavy rains, high temperatures, and frequent rainstorms since the flood season this year. The average precipitation reached 565.0 mm, nearly 40% higher than before, and breaking the record since 1961 when the meteorological record was first kept, specifically in Bishan, Qijiang, Nanchuan, Pengshui, and Qianjiang.

The maximum temperature on the ground level and in river valleys is expected to reach 40-42°C from late July to August. The number of days with a temperature exceeding 35°C can reach 17 to 33, 2-7 days more than that in an average year, and 5-9 days more than that last year.

Homeland protected against rainstorms

Chongqing saw a new round of heavy rainfall since July 15, according to the Emergency Management Bureau. As of 17:00 on July 16, 188,025 people in 206 townships and towns (sub-districts) in 19 districts and counties including Wanzhou, Fuling, Beibei, Yongchuan, Tongnan, Tongliang, Dazu, Rongchang, Bishan, Liangping, Chengkou, Fengdu, Dianjiang, Zhongxian, Kaizhou, Yunyang, Wuxi, Shizhu, and Youyang were affected by the floods and landslides caused by heavy rains. Chongqing has launched the second-level emergency response to flood prevention and disaster relief.

Currently, 7,729 people have been relocated, with 1,678 in need of emergency relief supplies. The disasters hit 6,211 hectares of crops, with 1,157 hectares wiped out. A total of 218 houses have collapsed, and 924 been damaged to varying degrees. The direct economic losses amount to 159 million yuan.

Sanhui Town in Zhongxian County was hit by heavy rains, for which more than 90 businesses, over 100 residential houses, and over ten vehicles were inundated, two transformers damaged, and three perilous rocks collapsed. The local government immediately set up four rescue teams with more than 30 members, evacuating in time residents trapped and conducting temporary traffic control at each entrance of the town.