Southern China, hit by severe flooding this week, is bracing for a new challenge: the approach of Super Typhoon "Bavi". Forecasters warn that the number of extreme weather events in the country will only increase this year, Reuters reports.

According to the National Climate Center of China, up to six typhoons could form in the northwest Pacific Ocean and South China Sea in July—significantly above the average of 3,8. Up to three of these could make landfall, compared to the typical 1,8, and cyclone intensity is expected to be above average.

Experts attribute the increase in destructive weather events to climate change, as well as the development of El Niño—a periodic warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that can increase global temperatures and intensify typhoons.

Super Typhoon "Bavi", with a diameter of over 1000 km and wind gusts exceeding 290 km/h, has already made landfall briefly near the American island of Rota in the western Pacific Ocean, and is expected to approach China on Saturday – this is the second tropical cyclone in a week. Earlier last week, Typhoon "Maysak" struck the southern island province of Hainan and then quickly moved into Guangxi, where it caused the most damage; its aftershocks also spawned at least two tornadoes in the central regions of the country.

The worst situation has developed in the city of Hengzhou (Guangxi), the epicenter of the flooding in the region: after a dam at one of the local reservoirs burst on Monday, the city was engulfed by powerful streams of water. According to authorities, at least six people were killed and over 375 thousand residents were injured, with the death toll expected to rise. In some homes, water rose to the second floor, forcing some residents to take refuge on their roofs.

Experts note that the current typhoon season in China is proving noticeably more intense than usual: El Niño is shifting cyclone tracks closer to the Chinese coast, and climate change is making storms wetter and more destructive. Last week, the World Meteorological Organization raised its forecast for the likelihood of a strong El Niño quickly forming in the coming months.