China has stepped up financial and material support for disaster response as the country faces an unusually extreme weather season, with the central government allocating billions in relief funds and emergency supplies, a finance official said on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Finance is strengthening financial, personnel and material resources to support disaster prevention and response, said Xing Chaohong, deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources and Ecological Environment at the Ministry of Finance, at a press conference in Beijing.
"In 2026, the central government has reserved 20 billion yuan in natural disaster relief funds. Since the start of this year's flood season, the central government has activated the rapid fund allocation mechanism eight times, disbursing a total of 1.19 billion yuan to disaster-hit areas. In addition, the central government has arranged 14.5 billion yuan through channels including agricultural production disaster prevention and relief funds, water conservancy disaster relief funds, key transport project funds and central budget investment, to support the restoration of damaged water conservancy projects and post-disaster emergency recovery," Xing said.
The ministry is also strengthening the stockpile of emergency supplies for disaster relief, flood control and drought relief, and forest and grassland fire prevention. By mid-July, the value of stored supplies reached 3.418 billion yuan. Since the start of the year, authorities have dispatched 538,400 emergency supplies worth 145 million yuan to affected areas.
As the country enters the critical flood season from late July to early August, the ministry will strengthen coordination with emergency, water conservancy, agriculture, transport and other authorities to ensure that local regions can safely get through the flood season.
China bolsters disaster relief funding as extreme weather intensifies
Emergency measures are being put in place to help urban areas across China cope with sweltering daytime temperatures as a severe heatwave grips multiple regions of the country, with local community rest stations being set up to shield residents and provide much-needed respite to outdoor workers amid the scorching weather.
Large swathes of the country are baking as the summer heat takes hold. According to the Central Meteorological Observatory of China, eight of the top ten hottest areas nationwide on Wednesday were in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where Turpan and Toksun both recorded temperatures above 44.5 degrees Celsius.
The intense heat is unlikely to let up anytime soon, as Hami Meteorological Station has issued a red alert and is forecasting that temperatures in Hami City will exceed 40 degrees Celsius from Wednesday to Sunday.
In an effort to combat the heatwave, the local sanitation department has deployed multiple sprinkler and spray trucks to cover major roads in downtown Hami to help with dust suppression and road surface cooling, while upping the frequency of operations.
Persistent high temperatures have also affected many areas in the southwestern Sichuan Province, with some weather stations recording maximum highs exceeding 42 degrees Celsius and weather alerts being issued in numerous cities.
In Guang'an City, the mercury had already soared to 38 degrees Celsius by 10:00 Wednesday morning, pointing to a long, hot day ahead.
However, the county has opened nearly 350 'rest stations' to help local people escape the heat. These air-conditioned cooling points, equipped with fans, drinking water, emergency medicines, and seating, provide much-needed rest areas for outdoor workers such as delivery drivers and couriers, as well as to the elderly and other passersby.
"This round of high temperatures is characterized by its long duration, high temperatures, and the oppressive, muggy conditions, impacting outdoor workers and the elderly the most," said Yu Jilin, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group at the Wusheng County Federation of Trade Unions.
In the neighboring Chongqing Municipality, a red alert for high temperatures was issued on the same day.
At the exit of a busy highway in Wuxi County, heat waves shimmered on the road surface amid heavy traffic. Police officers on duty were busy checking vehicles under the scorching sun, focusing on any potential safety hazards in passenger and freight vehicles, while enduring the sizzling weather themselves.
"The main issue is the high temperature -- surface temperatures can reach over 50 degrees Celsius. Whenever we are on duty, the exhaust from passing fuel-powered vehicles feels scorching hot against our bodies," said Lin Xianyong, an auxiliary police officer.
Air-conditioned "rest stations" set up to provide respite as scorching heatwave grips China
