China warned of future disasters as Zhengzhou floods toll passes 50 - France24

 The catastrophic floods that struck the central city of Zhengzhou this week have given China's urban planners a foretaste of future disasters as climate experts reckon the country had better learn to live with record-breaking rainfall.

An unprecedented downpour dumped a year’s rain in just three hours on the city of Zhengzhou on Tuesday, instantly overwhelming drains and sending torrents of muddy, swirling water through streets, road tunnels and the subway system.

Officials said the death toll had climbed to 51 as of noon on Friday, with more than 395,000 people forced to evacuate their homes.

Questions have turned to how China’s bulging cities could be better prepared for freak weather events, which experts say are happening with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change.

Official data shows about 98% of China's 654 major cities are vulnerable to flooding and waterlogging, with rapid growth in recent decades creating urban sprawls that covered floodplains with impermeable concrete.

The deluge on July 20 dumped 800-900 millimetres of rainfall in what was described by Chinese media as a "once in a thousand year" event.

"We can't verify whether this is 'once in a thousand years', said Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-General of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), a non-government group.

"But because of global climate change, the rainfall statistics will continue to break new records in the future," he added.