MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: China Launches Cloud Seeding Rockets To Make It Rain - Dozens Of Deaths As Heat Wave Breaks Historic Records!

August 02, 2013 - CHINA -  The authorities in Hangzhou city in China's Zhejiang province are taking a slightly more direct approach to tackle the heatwave sweeping the region.

They are launching cloud seeding rockets into the sky in order to make it rain and hopefully bring down the 35C temperatures, which have triggered a level two emergency from the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

Cloud seeding is a form of intentional weather modification. By dispersing substances, in this case silver iodide, into the air by rocket or plane, scientists can attempt to change the amount of rain that falls from clouds by altering the microphysical processes within the cloud.

Clouds were seeded during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing using rockets, so that there would be no rain during the opening and closing ceremonies.

However, some dispute the effectiveness of the technique. There are also concerns over the toxicity of silver iodide and its effect on the environment. - Daily Mail.


Hundreds of millions of Chinese residents are sweating out an exceptional heat wave, with major cities such as Shanghai recording new all-time record high temperatures.

Weather historian Christopher C. Burt of Weather Underground reports that Shanghai, China's largest city, has broken its all-time record high in records reaching back to 1873, reaching 105.1ºF on July 26. The misery has been compounded by brutally warm nights; the city's low July 30 only dipped to 88ºF, with the heat index dropping no lower than 99ºF.

A woman holds an umbrella to protect herself from the sun as a heatwave hits Shanghai on July 4, 2013, when
the city's high reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. (PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

A man takes a rest in a park from the heat in Shanghai on July 2, 2013, when the city reached a high of
98 degrees Fahrenheit. (PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

Shanghai, where average July highs are in the mid 80s to low 90s, hit the century mark 14 different days in July, including the last nine days in a row.

The heat wave, the worst in at least 140 years in some parts, has left dozens of people dead and pushed thermometers above 40 degrees C (104 F) in at least 40 cities and counties, mostly in the south and east. Authorities for the first time have declared the heat a "level 2" weather emergency- a label normally invoked for typhoons and flooding.

"It is just hot! Like in a food steamer!" 17-year-old student Xu Sichen said outside the doors of a shopping mall in the southern financial hub of Shanghai while her friend He Jiali, also 17, complained that her mobile phone had in recent days turned into a `'grenade."

"I'm so worried that the phone will explode while I'm using it," He said.

On Tuesday, the director of the China Meteorological Administration activated a "level 2" emergency response to the persistent heat wave. This level requires around-the-clock staffing, the establishment of an emergency command center and frequent briefings.

Some Chinese in heat-stricken cities have been cooking shrimps, eggs and bacon in skillets placed directly on manhole covers or on road pavement that has in some cases heated up to 60 degrees C (140 F).

This picture taken on July 27, 2013 shows people trying to cool off at a water park in Suining, southwest
China's Sichuan province, as a heatwave hit several provinces in China. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Rescuers save a man who fainted after climbing onto a crane tower with the intention to commit suicide, in
Hengyang, central China's Hunan province on July 31, 2013. The man fainted shortly after he climbed onto
the tower due to triple-digit temperatures. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Extreme heat began hitting Shanghai and several eastern and southern provinces in early July and is expected to grip much of China through mid-August.

Burt said a swath of provinces in the east-central part of the country have taken the brunt of the prolonged heat wave, likely experiencing their warmest July in modern history. He noted the coastal city of Ningbo reached 108.9ºF on July 26 to establish the highest temperature ever recorded at a coastal location in East or Southeast Asia.

The South China Morning Post said large crowds of people thronged subway stations in several Chinese cities, seeking the air-conditioned tunnels as a relief from the extreme and prolonged heat. The newspaper's website said Changsha, the capital of Hunan, established a new record of 25 consecutive "high-temperature days," days when the mercury topped 95ºF.

Little relief is expected in this region, as triple-digit heat is likely to persist well into early August across these same areas, along with widespread lows in the 80s. - TWC.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: China Issues Heat Alert As "Hottest July" Hits Shanghai - 10 Dead From Heatstroke; Hottest July In 140 Years; Journalists Successfully FRIES PORK CHOP ON ROAD PAVEMENT IN JUST 10 MINUTES!

July 31, 2013 - CHINA - Temperatures in parts of China have hit record highs, prompting an emergency level-two nationwide heat alert for the first time.

In Shanghai, at least 10 people have died from heatstroke, as the city experiences its hottest July in 140 years, reports say.

Parts of China are experiencing a heat wave, with record-high temperatures prompting a
national heat alert covering nine provinces.

The scorching heat has affected northern and eastern parts since 1 July, including the capital, Beijing.

Local journalists have demonstrated the heat by frying meat on the pavement.

The national heat alert covers nine provinces, including Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Shanghai and Chongqing.

According to figures from the Shanghai Meteorological bureau, Shanghai has seen 24 days with temperatures at or above 35C in July.

"It should be a new record since Shanghai had its own weather recording," said chief service officer Wu Rui.

"Also, in July of this year Shanghai reached 40.6 degrees Celsius, its highest ever temperature. So the highest temperature in July also broke a record."

In Shanghai both humans and animals, like the gorilla shown here - in an air-conditioned enclosure,
are trying to seek relief from the heat.

The Shanghai Meteorological bureau said the city has seen 24 days with temperatures at
or above 35C (95F) this month.

Residents are taking advantage of whatever cooling-off opportunities come their way,
like this little girl in People's Square.

More than 10 people in Shanghai have died after suffering from heatstroke, state-run news agency Xinhua said, citing health officials.

In a TV report, journalists from Shanghai TV said they successfully fried a pork chop on a marble slab outdoors in just 10 minutes.

The practice appears to have become popular, with photos of slices of bacon and fish being barbecued outdoors by the heat appearing online. 'Impossible'

In other parts of China, water parks are attracting huge crowds, like this one in Wuhan, Hubei province.

To beat the heat, some are getting creative, like this man sitting in a chair submerged in the
Hanjiang river in Hubei province while eating his meal.

The China Meteorological Administration issued the level two emergency heat alert on Tuesday.

"Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Chongqing and Shanghai meteorological bureaus should enter into emergency response on the basis of actual weather conditions," it said on its website.

It added that weather forecasts suggested that some areas south of the Yangtze river, including Chongqing, could experience temperatures of over 35C until 8 August.


WATCH: China issues heat alert as hottest July hits Shanghai.

It urged members of the public to avoid outdoor activities and to take protective measures against the heat.

"It's impossible for people to live without an air-conditioner," a resident was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

"Just going outside in this kind of temperate can roast people." - BBC.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF IN CHINA: Hundreds Of Dead Fish Found Rotting In Shanghai River And Large Fish Kill On A River In Chongqing?!

April 10, 2013 - CHINA - Just weeks after over 16,000 putrefying pigs were pulled from Shanghai's Huangpu river, more than 250kg of dead carp had to be retrieved from a river in the city's Songjiang district. Mystery still surrounds the cause of death, but numerous explanations have surfaced in the Chinese media since residents first complained about the foul-smelling fish last Monday.

Hundreds Of Dead Fish Found Rotting In Shanghai River, China.

Theories reportedly include climate change, electrocution, an explosion or even a drug overdose. The Shanghai Daily quoted a local government official who "speculated" the fish could have been "drugged". "Small fish died earlier because they're more sensitive to toxins," the official, named as Mr Gao, told the newspaper.

China has become notorious for its polluted rivers, largely as a result of decades of unbridled economic growth. Last year a senior official conceded 20 percent of the country's rivers had become "too toxic for human contact".  Shanghai authorities have so far denied the "fish kill" was caused by water pollution, citing the absence of chemical plants near the river.

Whatever the cause, authorities insist there is no risk to public health or drinking water sources. "The river's quality hasn't been affected by the dead fish so far. It remains the same level as usual," an official named as Mr Zhang told the China Daily. He did not explain what the usual level was.

Nor was there a connection between the dead carp and the thousands of rotting pig carcasses pulled from Shanghai's Huangpu last month, local environmental official Liu Fengqiang said.   One river-dweller told the China Daily he had stopped using tap water in the wake of the two scandals. "I need to trust my sources of water. I'm still haunted by the dead pigs," Shi Hua said.

Meanwhile, samples of the dead fish have been sent for testing and the fish themselves have been laid to rest. "All the dead fish plucked out of the water were buried safely," the Shanghai Daily reported. - Telegraph.

Large Fish Kill On A River In Chongqing, China.

Chongqing Dazu Yong Town, unity village reflect that on the morning of the 7th, the town the Huai far river basin natural fish a large number of deaths the people berserk dead fish on the shore, and partly to get the market to sell. Review of the incident: the surface of the water a lot of fish death throes. Huai the far river Dingjia Qiao basin & nbsp7 at 14:00, transferred a large number of dead fish was found, a 15-meter-wide river, and occasionally to see a few waving a white belly of the fish, along the downstream winds from the northeast side of the drift upstream of the south and west. Come to the shore to take a closer look, from time to time can find flocks of dozens of small fish, the head of exploration for breath.

"The fish are caught a lot about it." Introduced several migrant workers responsible for the construction of the Huai far river embankments. They come to work at 8:00 in the morning, large and small, all kinds of fish swim in the water, this phenomenon has never been very unusual. Migrant Huang Gang said: "fish very difficult to explain is dead or alive, anyway swim very strange impression in its death throes."

Villagers Shizu Yun at 11:00 on the 7th catch up on the field home, passing Dingjia Qiao see even more shocking: usually only a few anglers the Huai far river, even a large number of villagers gathered their nets on the river tour does not move fish go fishing, put them in one bamboo basket. Picked up the fish, the block header larger catfish, mullet, and other large and small fish.

Villagers guess: the plant sewage or human poisoning.

"Well you smell, the river has a very pungent odor." An unnamed villagers suspect, occurred in the Huai the far river Dingjia Qiao basin, a large number of fish anomaly is likely to be the production of strontium carbonate The factory red butterfly sewage caused. Red butterfly plant location, just on the Huai River flows through the waters far Dingjia Qiao downstream 400 meters.

For this question, the Yong Town Redstar Community secretary Huang Ren's be explained. He is in the Chongqing Morning News reporter arrived at the scene to survey not long ago to the subsequently been followed in the press behind, and maintain a distance of 10-20 meters. Derivative securities of the fish and not a large number of deaths, just a small amount of amusement on the water, the weather changes resulting in the waters of hypoxia, thus forming the floating head phenomena (dissolved oxygen down to fish or aquatic animals can not breathe properly. fish and other animal head surfaced).

Another community cadres Microstructure claimed, to listen to the masses on the morning of the 7th, the story of this situation, the town government and community to send people to the scene saw. The Microstructure reflects part of the crowd of villagers to guess the cause of the incident: First upstream paper mills, sewage downstream is the downstream red butterfly plant sewage backflow Third the human poisoning anesthesia Fish. "However, only Dingjia Qiao up and down the 200-300 meters watershed, regardless of upstream or downstream of the sewage problems found floating head can not be just such a period." Microstructure thus denied the first two statements, he believes a third the case is more likely.

Official response: the factory denied that the sewage reason unknown

& Nbsp7 afternoon Yong Town Commission for Discipline Inspection Wang Peigang came Dingjia Qiao. He told reporters after the incident town government attaches great importance to, and at noon, he personally telephoned the the red butterfly plant manager Xie Yunfu get back: Recognition red butterfly did not sewage.

Xieyun Fu said in a telephone interview with reporters, said that since 2008 the plant after environmental remediation has sewage changed to internal circulation. In addition, the factory and its surrounding river and found no fish floating head or dead fish phenomenon.

In the Yong Town, a large number of fish floating head cause not yet identified, the reporter at the scene of a water sample to prepare for inspection. According to Yong Town Comprehensive market selling meat vendors confirmed, the morning of the 7th, indeed, dead fish was the Huai the far river fishing to get the market trafficking. "People where points come to fish is good or bad, do not know that the fish are dead Lang. Anyway, these fish, we are afraid to eat, and also suggest that you'd better not eat." - Shuichan. [Translated]

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Land Subsidence Continues in China - Ground Collapse in Chongqing Stuns Villagers, and Massive Sinkhole in Wenzhou Swallows Car!

Wenzhou Reuters yesterday morning, the bridge in the town, village, Yongjia County, Wenzhou City, a river bank, a car traveling in suddenly confronted with a road collapse, fall into the pit of about three meters deep, the driver with multiple injuries.

According to local villagers, the incident of road outside of the river had been excavation, coupled with the long-term erosion of the river, the road below the sediment loss and appeared empty, leading to the accident.  7 o'clock yesterday morning, the little gold of the bridge in the town, Yongjia County, the village young men drove to work, leave the house only a few meters to the when Jinxi road, the road suddenly collapsed, the car instantly fell into a large pit, the Xiaojin family and local villagers immediately came to the rescue. Can not open the door was stuck, Xiao Jin, vice cab windows to climb out of the car, all work together to be rescued from the pit.  Reporters on the scene saw the incident occurred at the the mushroom River Golden Village, the west side of River, the collapse of the pit about three meters the deepest, 2 meters wide, 5 meters long, a white Volkswagen car bogged down in Tai Hang, Body multiple injury. Tai Hang above the cement pavement, crumbling, the thinnest at less than 5 cm. Collapse down the "rustling" sound issued from time to time in the Tai Hang gravel.  Preliminary inspection of the hospital, the little gold forehead, right leg, etc., skin abrasions, and whether there are injuries or fractures, remains to be further examination. Recall the breathtaking scene, he is still a lingering fear. He said: "I thought the earthquake, scared to close your eyes and opened his eyes and found himself in a massive big pit."  After the incident, the local authorities immediately deployed a number of vehicles, excavators excavation near the river, changing the flow direction, to prevent recurrence of the danger. - SINA [Translated].

Villagers found a big hole in the reservoir upstream of Lingyun in Geleshan town, Chongqing. The hole is about 20 meters long, 10 meters wide, funnel-shaped deep. Yesterday, reporter learned from the town government, they have sent people all day on duty, timely monitoring. The villagers, Geleshan ground settlement on land after another, nearly two years. These holes in the end is how the formation of?

Yesterday, Clarion Village, Geleshan town community villagers on the angle of the bridge to the Daily, said the village collapsed. Reporters rushed to the right angle bridge community Lingyun reservoir near the enthusiastic local villagers under the leadership of, and take about 10 minutes mountain, found the site of the incident.  Villagers told reporters that the occurrence of land subsidence locations previously reservoirs, and the entire reservoir only downstream of a small lake, and the rest have dried up, while the hole is located in the Lingyun Reservoir upstream. The reporter saw the hole were two irregular round shape, the overall length of 20 meters at its widest point about 10 meters, the hole was a funnel-shaped, wider at the top, no bottom. At this time the villagers got bamboo poles, or throw stones down, are impossible to measure its depth. Upstream of the reservoir, there have been a stream flowing into the big hole around cordoned off and warning signs, warning villagers not to come near... Yesterday, Shapingba District Land and Resource Management Branch, geological environmental monitoring stations Yu, Geleshan belongs to the karst topography, the internal structure of complex and changeable, the underground there are many caves, underground rivers, to sew. While land subsidence factors, days of heavy rain may induce one of the reasons. Villagers reflect geological experts to the scene to view, and the terrain to monitor, restrict access to corresponding measures according to the development of the mountain.  Yu also said that they have been trapped surrounding villagers door-payment of disaster prevention in hedge understand card, to inform everyone once the continued abnormal, what direction they should evacuate. Yesterday, town government Geleshan said, all-day monitoring of ground subsidence cases, if the situation does not rule out the emergency evacuation of the villagers. Meanwhile, the town government has organized town, village emergency rescue team to carry out emergency rescue drill... Chongqing 136 geological survey team of geological experts said that Geleshan strata belonging to the beam mountains, limestone karst fissures, its easy to form collapse. The collapse may be three reasons: (1) to trap the hole below, may have been a cave, due to the movement of the earth itself, or cause cave erosion, will appear to collapse. (2) The original water in the cave under the two land subsidence, water loss due to external forces destroyed the groundwater runoff channels, the ground on the formation of pressure difference. This time, if the increase of the endurance on the ground will collapse. (3) The Liangshan a pulse and there were many references to mineral resources, if the landfill is not true, over time are also possible collapse. However, the specific reasons for the need for drilling, exploration, geophysical, geological experts and personnel in order to obtain the final result after investigation and consultation. - CQ News.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Land Subsidence Continues in China - Explosion Dislodges Massive Boulders in Chongqing; Flattening Cars Below as Hundreds Evacuate Area!

It looks like the scene from a deadly earthquake. But miraculously no one was killed, after two rocks weighing a combined 300 tons rolled down a cliff and flattened two parked cars in Chongqing, southwest China.  The rocks smashed a seven-foot wide and three-feet deep pit in the road, and created a huge crack in the paving.  Despite hitting a number of cars, no one was killed, although there were several lucky escapes. One of the vehicles - a delivery truck with 2,500 boxes of beer on it - was hit while moving.  The smaller of the two rocks fell further down the mountain, but the larger boulder- weighing 200 tons - remained on the road, crushing two cars.

Safety measures: the falling rocks have led to hundreds of people being evacuated from the mountain area.

One of the lucky drivers, named Sun, was driving behind the truck and was about to overtake it before he saw a car coming the other way that potentially saved his life.  'The beer lorry was only four metres ahead of me, when two rocks, a big one and a small one, rolled down fast one after another,' said Sun.  'The first smaller rock missed the lorry. After smashing a parked car on the roadside, it continued to roll down the valley.  'Then a bigger rock rolled down, and hit onto the rear part of the beer lorry. With two explosions, the beers exploded and broken glass shot out in all directions. And the beer bubbles covered my windscreen, which was quickly smashed by shooting beer bottle glass.'  Sun got out of his vehicle to see two parked cars flattened by the boulder, just a few feet away from him. 

Experts believe the rocks fell from a point 200 metres higher up in the mountains, and that they could only be removed with explosions.  The local government has had to evacuate residents living 1,000 metres below the road for fear of more rocks falling..  The beer lorry driver, Li, felt his vehicle grind to a halt when the back end was crushed by the boulder. 'I didn't hear anything until I heard a loud explosion and my vehicle stopped going forward,' he said.  Li did not let the shock affect his work however: He was still picking up unbroken beers from the ground and waiting for repairmen to fix the vehicle at the end of the day.  One driver, with five people in his car had overtaken the beer truck as he was driving quickly to make time. They passed the point on the road just before the rocks fell.  'Scrap glass was shooting into our car like bullets, and our rear window was all smashed. The glass also shot into the car, and cut two of us. The left front tyre was also shot flat,' said Xu, the driver.  'We quickly ran out of the car for our lives.'  A pedicab driver also escaped death. He was almost hit by the 2nd falling giant rock but immediately changed direction and tipped over on the road. He had slight injuries and went to the hospital alone. - Daily Mail.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Land Subsidence Continues in China - 3 Dead, 1 Missing in Chongqing Rain-Triggered Landslide!

Three people have died and one remains missing since torrential rain began to hit southwest China's Chongqing municipality on Monday, local authorities said Wednesday.

The victims included one farmer who was killed in a house collapse and two construction workers who died in a rain-triggered landslide, according to a statement from the municipal flood control and drought relief headquarters.

A total of 37,100 local people were affected in 19 towns among five counties and districts in the municipality. Direct economic loss is estimated at 11 million yuan (1.74 million U.S. dollars), the statement said.

Chongqing is expected to encounter another round of thunderstorms on Thursday. - CRI.

ICE AGE NOW: Cold Snap Grips Northern China - Coldest Average Temperatures for January in 27 Years!

A strong cold snap has swept China, with regions north of the Yangze River experiencing drastic drops in temperature.

On Tuesday morning, temperatures in parts of the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region plunged to below minus 40 degrees Celsius. Beijing also saw temperatures drop by 8 degrees, hitting a record low of minus 22 in the city’s northwest. As the cold front sweeps southwards, a wide range of provinces, including Shandong, Chongqing and Hubei, are also experiencing sharp drops in temperature. Weather authorities report that 42 cities across the country have experienced extreme cold weather this winter, with the worst of it being faced by several northern regions. - CNTV.

Shanghai's dry and cold weather, with low temperatures below freezing, should continue for two more days, forecasters said yesterday.

The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said temperatures will drop to about 2 degrees below zero Celsius in urban areas both days. It will be colder in the suburbs, with the mercury dropping to minus 5 degrees, with serious frost, the observatory warned. Today is forecast cloudy with a high of 4 degrees, while it should reach about 6 degrees tomorrow afternoon. The strong cold front will then gradually leave the city, the observatory said, and temperatures will rise starting Friday. The weather conditions should turn overcast and drizzly by then, said Zhu Jiehua, a chief service officer of the observatory. The observatory issued a blue frost alert, lowest of the three-tier system, at 4:30 yesterday afternoon warning the cold in the morning could harm crops. The blue cold wave alert and the blue gale alert issued earlier were lifted yesterday. Snow appeared in many parts of the city in the afternoon but was not strong enough to accumulate. Freezing weather in the early morning yesterday slowed the pace for many schoolchildren who were on the first day of their new spring semester. Shanghai traffic police intensified patrols and sent more officers around schools across the city to aid the students flow. Nearly 600 traffic officers and assistants were sent to 466 schools, and the campaign worked well as the traffic around schools was little affected by the overall homecoming volume, police said. - Shanghai Daily.

WATCH: Record Low Temperatures in North China