Coverage of July’s floods in Henan points to the need for the media to link extreme weather events with climate risks (Image: Li An / Alamy) (Image: Li An / Alamy)
Two hundred and two millimetres! That’s how much rain fell in Zhengzhou in a single hour on 20 July, a record for mainland China.
Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province and a city of 10 million, lies in central China. It is not normally a wet place. Annual rainfall is around 600mm, only slightly more than fell on the city on that one day in July. Other parts of the province were also affected. According to official data, at least 302 people died and 55 went missing in the resulting floods province-wide. The media and official statements labelled it a “once in a thousand years” event, or in one case “once in five thousand years”. Experts from the National Meteorological Centre complained these were not scientific descriptions. The language reflected the shock people were feeling.
Abroad, extreme weather events usually result in more discussions about climate change. So, with China having committed to carbon neutrality, did these floods boost awareness of climate change?
How did Chinese media cover the Henan flood? – China Dialogue
