Storm dumps one year's worth of rain in a day in China, over 19,000 people evacuated
The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) reported that 19,453 people from 6,171 households were forced to leave their homes as the water rose rapidly. Social media videos showed police officers wading through knee-deep floodwaters, assisting with overnight evacuations.Weather authorities compared this volume of precipitation to the devastating typhoon that struck the region in 2023, which had also brought unprecedented flooding to Beijing and surrounding cities. Baoding's Zhuozhou, which suffered heavily in those floods, faced yet another cut-off from the outside world as crucial bridges and transport links went under water.
China's ageing flood defenses and the increasing frequency of such extreme weather are stretching emergency response. (Photo: Reuters)
The province of Hebei has experienced consecutive years of above-average rainfall, with 640.3mm recorded last year—a 26.6% surge over historical norms. The CMA notes that since 2020, rainfall totals have consistently exceeded averages, marking a dramatic shift in local climate patterns.Some scientists link these intensifying downpours in China's traditionally arid north to the effects of global warming.By Friday morning, Baoding authorities maintained a red alert for further heavy rain. Hebei and neighbouring provinces upgraded their flood emergencies as rains threatened to persist through the weekend.About 160 km away, Beijing was also bracing for what could be the most intense downpour of its current flood season, with warnings of flash floods, landslides, and secondary disasters in the city's mountainous and low-lying suburbs.Rail services in the wider region, including Inner Mongolia, faced disruptions as several passenger trains were suspended for safety reasons.China's ageing flood defenses and the increasing frequency of such extreme weather are stretching emergency response systems, threatening to displace millions and putting further strain on a $2.8 trillion agricultural sector. The latest spate of storms underscores the urgent climate adaptation challenges facing China's most densely populated cities and vital economic corridors.Authorities continue to monitor the situation as forecasters caution that the East Asian monsoon, combined with broader climate trends, is likely to keep disrupting the country's heartland well beyond this latest storm.- EndsTrending Reel
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