Deadly floods in China move north, triggering highest rain warning

Hong Kong
CNN
—

The violent storms that caused widespread flooding in southeast China are now moving inland. The national weather service has therefore issued a heavy rain warning and is warning of further flash floods and landslides in the coming days.

Last week, the region experienced heavy rains, causing deadly floods and landslides that killed at least 71 people, according to Chinese state media.

The southern province of Guangdong, an economic metropolis of 127 million people, is prone to flooding every year from April to September. But the coastal region has faced heavier rainstorms and severe flooding in recent years as scientists warn that the climate crisis will amplify extreme weather events, making them deadlier and more frequent.

After causing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in Guangdong, the storms have now moved slightly north into south central China. In Hunan province, images have emerged of flooded highways and a flooded subway system.

On Monday, the China Meteorological Administration issued the highest red rainstorm warning for the first time this year, warning of a high risk of torrential rain in several provinces.

The high-risk area stretches from Chongqing province in the west to Zhejiang in the east and includes the provinces of Hubei, Hunan and Anhui.

China’s state flood control and drought relief headquarters on Monday accelerated its response to flood level 3 (level 1 is the most urgent response) in Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, Chinese state media reported.

In Changsha, one of the worst-hit regions of the capital of Hunan province in south central China, cars drifted through the streets and people waded through flooded subway tunnels on Monday. The level of the local rivers rose by a record 4.59 meters, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

The state weather service measured 65.1 millimeters of rainfall in Changsha within an hour – a new record for the city in June. Tourist attractions and two subway lines had to close. Rescue workers transported residents to and from their homes in rubber dinghies, Reuters reported.

No deaths were initially reported from Changsha, but deaths were reported from several provinces and cities.

On June 21, five people were killed in Yuanlin county, Hunan province, by mountain currents, which occur when heavy rains in a mountainous region cause sudden and extreme floods, CCTV reported on Monday, bringing the death toll in the province to at least 13. More than 300 villagers in Taoyuan county, Hunan, were also unreachable on Tuesday, CCTV reported.

According to CCTV, by Monday morning at least 511,000 people in 29 cities and counties in Anhui province, northeast of Hunan, had been affected by persistent rains and floods, and 64,000 had been forced to flee their homes.

Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to protect lives and property as China struggles with heavy rains in the south and severe drought and record temperatures in the north.

Other parts of China also face prolonged periods of extreme heat and drought every year, leading to widespread power outages and disruptions to food and industrial supply chains.