‘It’s alarming’: intense rainfall and extreme weather become the norm in northern China

The unusual rains began to fall in Shanxi on 3 October, and the torrential downpours lasted for three days. According to Chinese media, the 59 observatories across Shanxi province all recorded historic levels of rain. According to the local weather bureau, the average rain in the province reached 120mm (4.7 in) between 2 and 7 October. The average rainfall across the US over a whole month is