May 17 (Xinhua) — According to the website of the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Office of the National Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief Committee, together with relevant member units, recently conducted consultations and verification on the national natural disaster situation in April 2024. In April, natural disasters in China were mainly floods, hail and thunderstorms, droughts and geological disasters, while low-temperature rain, snow and freezing, earthquakes, sandstorms, forest fires and biological disasters also occurred to varying degrees. Various natural disasters affected 5.422 million person-times across the country to varying degrees, caused 47 deaths and missing persons, and necessitated the emergency relocation and resettlement of 130,000 person-times; more than 900 houses collapsed and 66,000 houses were damaged; 379.5 thousand hectares of crops were affected; and direct economic losses reached 14.81 billion yuan.

　　The main characteristics of national natural disasters in April were as follows:

　　1. Heavy rainfall in the south and many rivers exceeding warning levels, with relatively severe impacts from floods and geological disasters

　　In April, the national average precipitation was 62 mm, higher than the same period in normal years, and 8 large-scale rainstorm weather processes occurred. The runoff of major rivers nationwide was 60% higher than the same period in normal years; 116 rivers experienced floods exceeding warning levels; the Beijiang, Dongjiang and Hanjiang rivers in the Pearl River Basin experienced 6 numbered floods in total, and the Beijiang River and its tributary the Lianjiang River experienced extraordinary floods. Mountain torrents, urban waterlogging and geological disasters occurred in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi and other provinces, with relatively severe impacts in Shaoguan, Qingyuan and other places in Guangdong. In April, floods and geological disasters affected 1.598 million people to varying degrees in 17 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), including Jiangxi and Guangdong, caused 24 deaths and missing persons, necessitated the emergency relocation and resettlement of 124,000 people, collapsed more than 800 houses, damaged 18,000 houses, affected 140.3 thousand hectares of crops, and caused direct economic losses of 11.98 billion yuan. The disaster losses were the heaviest for the same period in nearly 10 years.

　　2. Severe convective weather affected a wide area and was highly extreme, and 6 sandstorm weather processes occurred in the north

　　In April, 10 severe convective weather processes occurred nationwide, mainly affecting Jiangnan, East China, Southwest China and other places, with extreme disasters such as thunderstorm gales and hail occurring in some areas. Hail and thunderstorm disasters affected 1.809 million people to varying degrees in 19 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), including Jiangxi, Guangxi and Guizhou, caused 17 deaths, damaged 48,000 houses, affected 143.7 thousand hectares of crops, and caused direct economic losses of 2.27 billion yuan. In April, a total of 6 sandstorm weather processes affected northern China. The sandstorm process at the beginning of the month reached the level of a severe sandstorm and had a certain impact on agriculture and forestry in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and other places in the northwest.

　　3. Five earthquakes of magnitude 5 or above occurred in the western region, causing no relatively major disaster losses

　　In April, a total of 21 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or above occurred in mainland China (including 5 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or above), mainly in Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai and Yunnan. The largest was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake in Baicheng, Xinjiang, on April 10. The epicentral area was relatively sparsely populated and the level of seismic fortification of buildings was relatively high, so no casualties or losses were caused. In early April, magnitude 4.7 and 4.9 earthquakes occurred in Ludian and Shangri-La, Yunnan, damaging nearly 100 houses and causing direct economic losses of more than 23 million yuan.

　　4. Drought developed in stages in the southwest region, with the situation in Yunnan relatively more prominent

　　Since the beginning of this year, temperatures in southwest China have been higher and precipitation lower, and meteorological drought has developed in stages. At present, soil moisture is generally suitable in most parts of the country, while some areas in central and southern southwest China, eastern northwest China and northwestern north China have moderate or worse soil moisture deficits, and the drought in Yunnan is relatively more prominent. Drought disasters affected 1.986 million people to varying degrees in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and other places, left 430,000 people in need of living assistance due to drought, affected 93.6 thousand hectares of crops, and caused direct economic losses of 520 million yuan.

　　5. The overall situation for forest and grassland fire prevention and extinguishing was stable, with frequent fires in some areas

　　In April, rainfall in southwest China was scarce and unevenly distributed, and temperatures remained high; some areas in north China warmed rapidly with more windy weather; and the northeast region gradually entered the spring sowing period, increasing fire risks in areas where farmland and forest intersect. According to preliminary statistics, a total of 31 forest fires occurred nationwide in April, mainly in Yunnan, Hainan, Liaoning and other places, causing 4 deaths; 1 grassland fire occurred in Inner Mongolia.