Chinese paraglider accidentally swept more than 28,000 ft above ground
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Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Storms dump a year of rain on North China, Beijing braces for floods
BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - Storms in northern China have poured nearly a year's rainfall on Baoding, an industrial city on the doorstep of capital Beijing, forcing over 19,000 people out of their homes as streets began to go under water and roads were cut off. As much as 448.7 mm (17.7 inches) of rain fell in Yi, an area in western Baoding, in the 24 hours to early Friday morning, triggering flash floods, causing power outages in some villages and damaging bridges and roads, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The rainfall set records at a number of weather stations in Hebei province, which Baoding is part of. Official records show annual rainfall in Baoding averages above 500 mm. There were no immediate reports of casualties, any people missing or damage in state media. Some 19,453 people from 6,171 households were evacuated, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said in a social media post. The forecaster did not mention where the residents were moved to, but shared a short clip showing two policemen in neon rain jackets boot-deep on a waterlogged street as rain poured down. The forecaster compared the amount of precipitation to the exceptional rainfall brought by a powerful typhoon in 2023, which inundated the capital Beijing with rains unseen since records began 140 years ago. Baoding's Zhuozhou, which suffered devastating floods in those rains two years ago, saw access to several bridges and roads cut off after the storms unleashed more than 190 mm of rain by Friday morning. Northern China has witnessed record-breaking rainfall in recent years, exposing densely populated cities including Beijing to flood risks. Some scientists link the higher rainfall in China's usually arid north to global warming. In response to flood disasters in Hebei and also in several places in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, the Chinese government on Friday allocated 23,000 items for disaster relief, including emergency kits and blankets, to support local authorities. Hebei province recorded 640.3 mm in annual rainfall last year, 26.6% more than its decades-long average, according to CMA's 2024 climate bulletin on the province. The report said Hebei has been recording consecutive above-average annual precipitation since 2020. Last summer, Baoding, together with neighbouring cities Zhangjiakou, Langfang, Xiongan and Cangzhou had 40% more than the usual seasonal precipitation, with some localised areas within Baoding recording 80% more rains, the report showed. The intensifying rainfall forms part of the broader pattern of extreme weather across China due to the East Asian monsoon, which has caused disruptions in the world's second-largest economy. Chinese authorities are watchful of extreme rainfall and severe flooding as they challenge China's ageing flood defences, threaten to displace millions and wreak havoc on a $2.8 trillion agricultural sector. Baoding maintained a red alert for heavy rains on Friday morning, while Hebei upgraded its emergency response preparedness. Beijing, which is about 160 km (100 miles) from Baoding, was not spared the impact. Rains were forecast to intensify, potentially accumulating to more than 50 mm over a six-hour period from Friday afternoon till Saturday morning in a number of districts, CCTV said. The capital is expected to see the heaviest rainfall since its flooding season began, potentially triggering debris rushing down mountains, landslides and other secondary disasters, CCTV reported. Beijing later on Friday issued flash flood alerts for four of its 16 districts, warning of a rapid rise in stormwater especially in the capital's mountainous north and west through Saturday morning. Elsewhere in the country's north, heavy rains disrupted railway service in Inner Mongolia as authorities suspended several passenger trains passing through high-risk areas from Friday to Tuesday.
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Storms dump nearly a year of rain in northern China, 19,000 evacuated
BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - Storms in northern China have poured nearly a year's rainfall on the city of Baoding, forcing more than 19,000 people out of their homes, the national forecaster said on Friday. Rainfall in Yi, in the western part of Baoding, reached as much as 447.4 mm (17.6 inches) in the 24 hours to early Friday morning, and records were reset at a number of weather stations in Hebei province, which Baoding is part of. Official records show that annual rainfall in Baoding averaged above 500 mm. A total of 19,453 people from 6,171 households were evacuated, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said in a social media post. The forecaster did not mention where the residents were moved to but shared a short clip showing two policemen in neon rain jackets boot-deep on a waterlogged street as the rain poured at night. The forecaster compared the amount of precipitation to the exceptional rainfall brought by the powerful Typhoon Doksuri to the Hai River basin in 2023, which inundated the capital Beijing with rains unseen since records began 140 years ago. The Hai River basin includes Beijing, Hebei province and the big port city of Tianjin. Hebei recorded 640.3 mm in annual rainfall last year, 26.6% more than a decades-long average, according to CMA's 2024 climate bulletin on the province. The report said Hebei has been recording consecutive above-average annual precipitation since 2020. Last summer, Baoding, together with neighbouring cities Zhangjiakou, Langfang, Xiongan and Cangzhou had 40% more than the usual seasonal precipitation, with some localised areas within Baoding recording 80% more rains, the report showed. The intensifying rainfall forms part of the broader pattern of extreme weather across China due to the East Asian monsoon, which has caused disruptions in the world's second-largest economy. Baoding maintained a red alert for heavy rains on Friday morning while Hebei upgraded its emergency response preparedness. Chinese authorities are watchful of extreme rainfall and severe flooding, which meteorologists link to climate change, as they challenge China's ageing flood defences, threaten to displace millions and wreak havoc on a $2.8 trillion agricultural sector.
Metro
5 days ago
- Metro
Dog survives after 30-tonne boulder crashes into family's driveway
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A dog miraculously survived after a 30-tonne boulder crashed into a family's driveway. Black aspin Moana somehow escaped after the huge rock crushed her cage outside the house in Benguet province in the Philippines. The sandstone boulder was captured rolling down the street before it flattened several objects on the driveway, including a parked car. Her owner Conniey said: 'We heard a loud rumbling from inside the house. It all happened so fast. I thought it was the end for us.' She added: 'We were so relieved to find her safe. We really thought we had lost her. She is so smart, her instincts saved her.' After emerging from the wreckage of the crash, Moana ran across the road to safety. The front of the home sustained partial damage, while no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. It came as Typhoon Wipha swept across the northern Philippines, displacing tens of thousands and damaging more than 1,200 homes. Its 167kph winds and heavy downpours have affected up to 800,000 people and left at least three dead. Power outages occurred across 76 cities, mainly in the Calabarzon region. The storm has since progressed across the South China Sea, towards southern China, Vietnam and Thailand. More Trending It also battered Hong Kong, where more than 500 flights were either cancelled or delayed at the city's Chek Lap Kok Airport. In Vietnam, the typhoon claimed the lives of at least 30 people on board the tourist sightseeing Wonder Sea boat which capsized on Saturday afternoon at Ha Long Bay, 125 miles northeast of the capital, Hanoi. Several of the 50 passengers who were on ship, including 20 children, remain missing. One of the survivors was a 14-year-old boy who was rescued after being trapped for four hours in the boat's hull. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Eight children among 38 dead as tourist boat capsizes at beauty spot MORE: China's new secret weapon is a flying ship dubbed 'the sea monster' MORE: More than 200 kids poisoned with lead at Chinese school after chef added paint to their food
