Parts of Hunter, Gunnedah in NSW's north ordered to 'evacuate now' as floodwater levels rise amid extreme deluge, with young woman still missing
Emergency crews are expected to continue searching for a 26-year-old Chinese woman, who remains missing for almost two days after she was swept away in floodwaters on Saturday.
The woman, who was in Australia on a work visa, was last seen at Black Creek, Old North Road, Rothbury, about 16 km north of Cessnock about 7.50pm on Saturday evening.
It is understood she was the passenger in a vehicle that attempted to drive through the floodwaters before it became stuck.
While the driver escaped, she was swept away.
Detective Inspector Laksa said the two women were cousins trying to return home to Sydney.
NSW Police said a multi-agency search was suspended on Sunday due to severe weather conditions and poor visibility, but the search resumed on Monday morning.
Those living in low-lying parts of Raymond Terrace in the Hunter, and Gunnedah in north-central NSW received evacuation orders on Sunday night.
''You must evacuate now because inundation is occurring and evacuation routes will be closed due to floodwaters,'' one SES alert read.
The next updates for both areas are due to be issued later on Monday.
A moderate flood warning remains in place for the Peel River at Tamworth and Hunter River at Denman.
Minor flood warnings are current for the Manning, Gloucester, Macleay, Severn, Paterson, Williams, and Gwydir Rivers.
There are still more than 50 warnings current for residents across the Mid North Coast, Upper Hunter and New England regions.
More than 20,000 Essential Energy customers are out of power as a result of the wild weather over the weekend which led to rain, snow and flooding.
Severe thunderstorms raged through the Mid North Coast, while heavy snow built up in the Northern Tablelands.
Sky News Meteorologist Rob Sharpe said Monday is expected to be much "calmer" after 20-50 cm of snow covered parts of northern NSW.
"It was the biggest snow for this region including Armidale, Ebor and Guyra since 1984," he said.
Sharpe further advised that there is still a damaging surf warning along the NSW coast up to the Gold Coast, with the high waves expected to ease by today, but still remain large and hazardous.
The wet weather that has hammered much of NSW for the past week is slowly starting to dissipate, with a slight chance of a shower in Sydney, Newcastle, and the NSW coast.
The SES said it received more than 3,600 calls for help since the weather system drenched the state on Saturday.
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The Australian
14 hours ago
- The Australian
Woman missing as NSW floods, snow in Northern Tablelands as weather system hits
An urgent search is underway after a woman was swept away overnight in rising floodwaters in NSW's Hunter Region. Two women in their 20s were driving about 16km north of Cessnock when their Mini Countryman became stuck as they tried to drive through floodwaters. Both women exited the car, and the passenger was swept away. The 27-year-old driver was safe. The search was suspended overnight and has resumed today. Rainfall totals as high as 137mm have triggered widespread emergency responses across NSW and southeast Queensland, after a barrage of wild weather hit both states. The NSW State Emergency Service has issued more than 40 flood warnings north of Newcastle, with parts of one town urged to evacuate immediately. Six streets in the Upper Hunter town of Scone were ordered to evacuate by 4am Sunday after 'major flooding'. 'If you remain in the area, you may become trapped without power, water, and other essential services,' the SES has warned residents. 'It may be too dangerous for NSW SES to rescue you, and buildings may not be able to withstand the impact of flood water.' The NSW SES responded to more than 1,455 incidents caused by the severe weather, including more than 100 vehicles stuck in snow on the New England Highway, Waterfall Way, Norris Drive and Grafton Road. 'Unprecedented snowfall was recorded around Armidale and Guyra yesterday afternoon, creating dangerous road conditions,' the SES reported. The conditions are expected to ease on Sunday afternoon, but high levels of snow will make driving dangerous and there remains a risk of riverine flooding. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said snow had been seen as far north as the Granite Belt in southeast Queensland. 'Now all of this snow, particularly across the northern tablelands, did create some fairly dangerous driving conditions and some roads are still closed,' Ms Bradbury said. 'Conditions will gradually ease through the course of today, but they'll ease more rapidly overnight tonight into Monday 'By Monday, we're really expecting fairly isolated showers across the East Coast, with wind starting to pull back as well. 'However, we are likely to see hazardous surf persisting through to the middle of the coming week, with flooding likely to continue as well, our riverine catchments are saturated and they will take a few days to start to come down from those flood levels that are expected.' She went on to warn that a cold front hitting Western Australia could bring strong winds and thunderstorms. 'These winds will be ramping up about the southwest coast through this morning,' Ms Bradbury said. 'The forecast for Western Australia today indicates widespread showers and thunderstorms as the second cold front moves through, sweeping across those southwestern parts of the state. 'Thunderstorm could become severe through the course of today. 'We may also see small hail about the southwest coast of Western Australia today, including around the Perth area.' Brendan Kearns Cadet Journalist Brendan Kearns is a cadet journalist with News Corp Australia. He has written for The Australian, the Herald Sun, the Geelong Advertiser, CHOICE, Cosmos, and The Citizen. He won Democracy's Watchdogs' Student Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 and hosted the third season of award-winning podcast Uncurated. He studied as Master of Journalism at The University of Melbourne, before that he worked as a video producer and disability worker. NewsWire NSW Police are reviewing footage of an officer allegedly pushing a woman to the ground during a dramatic arrest after a car was damaged outside a school. NewsWire Flights have been delayed as thousands of passengers were forced to be rescreened for security from Brisbane Airport following a technical fault.
The Advertiser
18 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Water search dogs join police operation after woman swept away in flood
POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
The Advertiser
18 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Fatal floods keeping Beijing on edge as more rain looms
People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported. People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported. People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported. People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported.
