URUMQI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Record rainfall that hit the desert city of Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region last weekend has raised concerns among experts that extreme weather is on the rise in the arid region, with potentially lasting effects on fragile desert ecosystems.
The deluge sent floodwaters rushing into the dry riverbeds on the edge of the Taklamakan, the world's second-largest shifting sand desert. The local meteorological station recorded 64.7 millimeters of rain between June 19 and 20, surpassing the annual average for the area and breaking the previous high of 56 millimeters set in June 2021.
Video clips of submerged highways in the drought-prone city quickly went viral on Chinese social media, reigniting debates about the surreal phenomenon of "desert floods."
"Sandstorms are common, but rain is rare," a woman surnamed Chen, who has worked in the city for 12 years, told media. "Even when it rained, it seldom lasted more than an hour. But this time the rain was heavier and lasted much longer."
Scientists point to a combination of rising moisture levels and warmer ground temperatures as key drivers behind the extreme rainfall. Over the past six decades, the region's annual average temperature has risen by 0.33 degrees Celsius per decade, faster than the national average, and precipitation has also edged up.
Xinjiang is roughly three times the size of France. According to Wang Hui, a senior climate expert at the regional climate center, the vast inland area is highly sensitive to climate change.
But Wang cautioned against interpreting the rising rainfall as a shift toward a sustainably wetter climate in the arid region. Annual precipitation in southern Xinjiang, which is home to the Taklamakan Desert, remains only about one-tenth of the national average, and the annual precipitation days show no obvious change. The increase is mainly driven by more frequent extreme downpours.
These spikes in rainfall do not indicate the arid region is transitioning to a wetter climate, but highlight an intensifying trend of extreme weather, according to Wang.
Data from the past three decades show the frequency of heavy rainstorms in Xinjiang has increased by 47 percent, and that of blizzards has surged by 80 percent, compared with the earlier period from 1961 to 1990.
Besides, extreme precipitation and extreme drought are now alternating across the region. In 2020 and 2022, northern and eastern parts of Xinjiang suffered their worst droughts in two decades.
This year's extreme weather also coincides with a strengthening El Niño. In early June, the World Meteorological Organization urged countries to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event that could exacerbate both drought and heavy rainfall in the coming months.
While the precise El Niño impact on Xinjiang remains uncertain, "further intensification of the warming and wetting trend is possible," said Li Ruqi, a chief forecaster at the Xinjiang meteorological observatory.
In fact, similar extreme weather has occurred in many desert areas around the world in recent years. In 2024, the Sahara Desert, the world's largest, made headlines with unusual heavy rains. In Morocco, on its northern edge, downpours created the rare spectacle of ponds emerging from the sand and triggered floods not seen in decades. Meanwhile, countries along the southern fringe received several times their average annual rainfall.
Desert ecosystems play a crucial role in moderating global temperatures and regulating the Earth's climate. Scientists warn that more frequent extreme rainfall in these environments could alter desert ecosystems in ways that may ultimately ripple across the entire global system.
Local authorities in Xinjiang have strengthened monitoring efforts and issued multiple alerts over the past few weeks.
According to Li, the vegetation is fragile in the dry region and the soil has limited water-holding capacity, which implies that a single heavy downpour can trigger flash floods and mudslides. But locals are retaining floodwater to ease water scarcity, support irrigation and contribute to desertification control efforts.
No casualties caused by the recent floods have been reported, but scientists suggest ordinary people take weather warnings seriously and scientifically.
"Each flood on the edge of the desert is a reminder," Li said. "We must learn to read the warnings and live with this 'new normal' of extreme weather." Enditem
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