Hainan Island Province (China) is partially flooded due to Typhoon Trami causing record heavy rain.

Although the storm did not directly hit Hainan Island, cities there were still submerged by the storm. The day before, the area recorded 294.9 mm of rain in 24 hours, marking the highest rainfall in a single day in October since 2000.

Hainan Provincial Disaster Prevention and Relief Commission has upgraded its emergency response from level 3 to level 2 on a four-level scale for flood control and typhoon prevention. It is forecast that more than 250 mm of rainfall will be recorded in the next 24 hours. In addition, the provincial government has also issued a warning about the risk of geological disasters due to the sudden heavy rainfall.

This year, China's entire east coast has been hit by a series of extreme weather events, including super typhoon Yagi in September. Scientists warn that extreme weather is becoming more frequent due to climate change.

According to the National Meteorological Center (NCC), the country recorded an average of 6.3 percent more rainfall in October than in previous years. Last week, water levels along China's Bohai Sea suddenly rose by 160 centimeters in just a few hours, despite no wind, causing flooding in Tianjin and neighboring northern provinces.

China is no stranger to flooding, having faced numerous floods throughout its history. However, the country’s infrastructure and emergency response systems are under increasing strain as record rainfall inundates densely populated cities, destroys crops and disrupts local economies.

Chinese authorities ordered all fishing vessels to return to port to seek shelter, and evacuated more than 50,000 people. Many roads were flooded and power outages occurred, leading to the closure of many schools on the morning of October 29.

China has spent billions of dollars this summer alone to help rebuild areas hit by natural disasters. In July, economic losses from natural disasters reached 76.9 billion yuan ($10.8 billion), 88 percent of which was due to heavy rains and flooding from Typhoon Gaemi.