Deadly link between sharp emissions fall and China’s record 2020 rains
- Scientists say the industrial lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic contributed about one-third of the extreme rainfall
- Study shows abrupt drop in emissions reduction can have a substantial effect on weather patterns
An abrupt drop in airborne pollutants was a major cause of eastern China’s extreme summer rainfall in 2020, which killed more than 150 and affected 55 million people, according to a study led by Chinese researchers.
Wang Hailong, an earth scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington and a co-author of the report, said it showed the impact of reducing emissions abruptly and dramatically could be substantial, but more research is needed.
03:05
Massive floods hit communities along China’s Yangtze River, where more rain is in the forecast
According to the study, published last week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, about one-third of the record-breaking 2020 rains could be attributed to the industry shutdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The researchers found the restrictions implemented early that year reduced aerosol pollutants as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
“Aerosols have long been recognised as an important factor that can affect cloud and precipitation through various pathways,” Wang told the South China Morning Post.
“But the overall scientific understanding of the involved processes is still low and the net impact of aerosols on precipitation is very uncertain.”
