17 July 2022

At least 12 dead as thousands evacuated amid flash floods in China

17 July 2022

Flash floods in south-west and north-west China have left at least a dozen people dead and put thousands of others in harm’s way, state media reported on Sunday.

In the south-western province of Sichuan, at least six people have died and another 12 are missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods, state-owned news outlet CGTN reported.

Some 1,300 people had been evacuated as of Saturday, the report said.

Meanwhile, in Longnan city in the north-western province of Gansu, another six deaths were reported and 3,000 people have been evacuated, state broadcaster CCTV said.

The worst-affected areas saw as much as 3.9in (98.9mm) rain in a day and a half – almost double the July average.

The rain comes amid a heatwave in parts of the country, including eastern Zhejiang province and the city of Shanghai, with temperatures soaring as high as 42C (107F) last week.

Experts say such extreme weather events are becoming more likely because of climate change. Warmer air can store more water, leading to bigger cloudbursts when it is released.

The flooding adds to economic woes brought on partly by stringent “zero-Covid” measures restricting travel and disrupting supply chains.

China is not the only country experiencing extreme weather this summer.

In Germany, low water levels in the Rhine due to droughts have disrupted the supply chain for commodities into the country.

Heatwaves have also hit the southern part of the US, with temperatures expected to soar over 38C (100F) in coming days.

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