2023-08-12 12:43:00
Since July 31, torrential rains have been pouring down on northern China. This deluge caused severe flooding, which caused the death of no less than 78 people. And with the imminent arrival of a new storm, local authorities and residents fear the worst.
At least 33 people, including two rescuers, died in Beijing in a severe storm and flooding in late July. Fourteen people also died in Jilin Province, in the northeast of the country, after torrential rains last week.
In Hebei province, 29 people have died since August 10 and 16 are still missing, according to the latest count given Friday by the state channel CCTV, citing the authorities.
The worst rains in 140 years
These exceptional bad weather are the consequence of Typhoon Doksuri, downgraded to a storm after hitting the neighboring Philippines, which swept through northern China. The capital Beijing thus recorded around August 1 its heaviest rainfall for 140 years.
Over the past few weeks, millions of people have been hit by extreme weather events around the world. According to scientists, these events are exacerbated by climate change.
On Friday, the state-run New China News Agency reported that another flood control team had been dispatched to neighboring Liaoning Province, where “the local flood situation remains serious”. Two deaths have already been recorded.
A risk of flooding in the southwest
And China is not done with bad weather. Heavy rain is expected again this weekend as Tropical Storm Khanun approaches China, after hitting Japan and then the Korean Peninsula.
Meteorologists warn of the risk of flooding in mountainous regions of southwestern China, especially in Sichuan province. At least seven people have already died this week in a flash flood southwest of Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu, after an unexpected tidal wave swept tourists down the Longxi River. In Gansu province, five people were killed after being swept away by torrents after a storm, according to Xinhua.
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