Jakarta and Hangzhou lead list of cities at risk of extreme floods and droughts as temperatures rise, study warns.

SINGAPORE, March 12 — Rising temperatures are causing extreme shifts between droughts and floods in some of the world’s most densely populated cities, disrupting the global water cycle, according to a study by WaterAid.

Researchers analyzed 42 years of weather data from over 100 major cities, finding that South and Southeast Asia are experiencing more intense rainfall, while Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa are becoming drier.

Jakarta and Hangzhou topped the list of cities facing “climate whiplash,” with extreme heatwaves followed by severe floods. Hangzhou recorded over 60 days of extreme high temperatures last year, along with devastating floods that displaced tens of thousands.

A fifth of the cities studied have seen climate extremes reverse—Colombo and Mumbai have become much wetter, while Cairo and Hong Kong are drying out. Cities with outdated water infrastructure will need to invest in adapting to these new patterns.

Some cities, like Tokyo, London, and Guangzhou, have seen more stable weather in recent decades, with fewer extreme wet or dry months. — Reuters