Heavy rainfall hits Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan Province on Tuesday, vehicles that are washed away by the floods piled up on top of each other on the flooded roads. Photo: VCG

Natural disasters - dominated by floods, geographical disasters and droughts - in October affected more than 8.96 million people in China. A total of 43 people died or disappeared, the newest data released by the Ministry of Emergency showed, which comes as world leaders gather for the COP26 climate summit aiming to address global climate change. 

Natural disasters in October also led to the relocation of 388,000 people, 32,000 houses collapsed and 184,000 houses damaged to varying degrees, affected an area of crops of 785,000 hectares and caused 16.26 billion yuan in ($2.5 billion) economic losses, data showed. 

China reported three cases of heavy rainfall in October, brought the national precipitation to 51 millimeters, 44 percent more than normal in the same period. 

The flood in China affected some 3.2 million and 21 died and missing. The number of relocation of residents and collapsed houses was the highest comparing with the same period in the past five years. 

In October, four typhoons occurred in the Northwest Pacific and the South China Sea region, with an average increase of 0.19 in the same period in many years. Among them, Typhoon Lionrock and Tropical Storm Kompasu landed in China.

Seven earthquakes of magnitude 4 and above occurred in China, mainly in western regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai and Sichuan. 

China also registered 18 sporadic forest fires in October, that is 84 percent lower than previous years in the same period. 

Global Times