Southern China was reeling Tuesday from heavy rains that triggered landslides killing at least nine people, knocking out power for entire villages and burying crops. Meanwhile, northern parts of the country are battling drought, as the country faces two extremes of severe weather. Four people were killed and two others were missing in Wuping county in the coastal province of Fujian due to landslides caused by torrential rain. Severe downpours started on Sunday afternoon, with authorities measuring 372.4 millimetres of rainfall over a 24-hour period.
At least 378 houses collapsed in the county, and 880 hectares (2,175 acres) of crops were damaged, amounting to economic losses of at least 415 million yuan ($57.2 million) in Wuping, authorities said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. In the southern Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong, landslides triggered by severe flooding killed at least five people in the city of Meizhou. Fifteen others were missing, according to local media reports.
VIDEO: Landslides caused by torrential rain
More than 130,000 households in Meizhou experienced power outages, with some neighbouring towns and villages out of contact as of Monday. Three helicopters and more than 200 teams of rescuers were searching for survivors and delivering aid to the affected areas, according to local authorities. More than 11,000 people were moved after the Hanjiang River in south China’s Pearl River basin flooded, drowning crop fields and inundating homes.
In the southwestern Guizhou province, more than 1,100 people were evacuated due to flooding in several counties. Meanwhile, much of northern China, including the capital, Beijing, has endured high temperatures in recent days. However, rainfall is expected in the drought-hit areas in the next 10 days, according to China’s national weather bureau. Last month, flood-related disasters left several dead and missing in 17 provinces across China, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
Heatwaves in China
Much of northern China, including the capital, Beijing, has endured high temperatures for the past week. The National Meteorological Center has issued a heat warning, forecasting highs around 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) for Monday in parts of Beijing and nearby areas and in the Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia regions to the west.
Hot weather was also reported in Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by China off its east coast. The temperature reached 36.6 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit) in one township in Taitung county on Sunday, the island’s Central News Agency reported, citing the government weather agency.
A lack of rainfall in northern China has raised concerns about farm production this year. A Chinese vice premier, Liu Guozhong, called for drought prevention efforts Saturday on an inspection tour of Hebei province, which borders Beijing. He said that water resources should be allocated scientifically and the conservation of water for farming should be strengthened, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. He also called for helping farmers plant drought-resistant crops to firm up the foundation for the autumn grain harvest.
(With inputs from agencies)
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