China’s north and west regions are on high alert as torrential seasonal rains known as the “Plum Rains” continue to cause flash floods and landslides, forcing authorities to mobilise thousands of rescue workers across multiple provinces.
Red alerts were issued as the rain system tracked across Sichuan, Gansu, and up to Liaoning, leaving behind destruction and widespread disruption. In central Henan, the town of Taiping saw over 1,000 emergency personnel dispatched after a river burst its banks, killing five people and leaving three missing.
The deluge disrupted transportation into Beijing, with some trains suspended and flights delayed or cancelled. The intense rainfall has been linked to climate change, placing immense pressure on China’s ageing infrastructure and threatening its $2.8 trillion agricultural economy.
Economic losses from last July’s rains alone surpassed $10 billion. In Guangxi, multiple buildings collapsed after waterlogged soil caused their foundations to fail. Meanwhile, eastern regions of the country are experiencing extreme heat, highlighting the growing climate volatility across China.
Reuters/s.s