Sudden deluge in Xinjiang sets daily and hourly records

According to Xin Xin, a senior weather analyst for China, water vapor from the Arabian Sea had been transported through Pakistan, India and the Xizang autonomous region before arriving in Xinjiang. In addition, an easterly flow of cold air originating south of Lake Baikal carried water vapor into the Tarim Basin.

Xu Xiaofeng, president of the China Meteorological Service Association, said in an interview with Hongxing News that such heavy rainfall is extremely rare locally and can have negative effects. While it replenishes total water in arid areas, extreme rainfall can also wash away dry soil.

At about 4 pm on Tuesday, Hotan's weather forecasting bureau released a yellow warning for rainfall, saying that from noon until 8 am on Wednesday, the mountainous area and some parts of the plains areas of the Hotan region would see heavy rain.