China in trouble with "dragon boat water"

According to Reuters, incessant heavy rain has been pouring down on southwestern China since June 9 and caused floods in several cities, submerging many roads and parts of buildings with rainfall exceeding previous records.

Authorities try to assist people in the "dragon boat water" on June 8, the day the extreme rains just began - Photo: REUTERS

Beihai City in Guangxi Province saw 614.7 mm of rain in the first 24 hours as of 5 a.m. on June 9 (local time), leaving half-submerged cars on the road and water pouring down the stairs of high-rise buildings while firefighters raced to rescue people, according to videos circulating on social media.

Ferries from Beihai to nearby Weizhou Island were completely suspended from June 10 to 12, according to CCTV , with warnings of strong winds and heavy rain off the southern coast of China.

Nearby Yulin City, located in western Guangdong Province, welcomed the "dragon boat water" with 35 consecutive hours of rain as of the morning of June 9, while many surrounding villages and towns remained submerged in floodwaters.

China's weather bureau said rain will continue in southern China in the coming days, while the northeast of the country is expected to be hit by sudden thunderstorms.

China is increasingly experiencing extreme weather events due to climate change. Just before this record rain, Guangxi province suffered a record drought in May, with rainfall falling to its lowest level in 60 years.

Henan province, China's largest rice granary, has also been hit by recent heavy rains that have left rice unable to sprout or diseased, raising concerns about food security.

Anh Thu

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/trung-quoc-gap-hoa-voi-nuoc-thuyen-rong-20230611153428574.htm