HEAVY RAIN IN NORTHERN CHINA LEAVES 2 DEAD AND DISPLACES THOUSANDS. (PHOTO).

Heavy rain in northern China leaves 2 dead and displaces thousands

Heavy rainfall has caused widespread destruction across Beijing, Hebei province, and parts of north and northeast China, leaving at least two people dead and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. Authorities reported that intense storms have triggered flooding, landslides, and dangerous surges of water in rivers and reservoirs, while warning that additional heavy rain is expected to continue over the coming days. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the province of Hebei has suffered two deaths and two missing persons after record-breaking rainfall struck the industrial city of Baoding, dumping 145 millimeters (5.7 inches) of rain in just one hour on the county of Fuping. The Ministry of Water Resources has issued targeted flood alerts across 11 provinces and regions, including the capital, as small and medium-sized rivers face overflow and mountain torrents threaten nearby rural communities.

In Beijing’s Miyun district, the rural town of Fengjiayu has been the hardest hit, with landslides cutting off electricity and communications and forcing the evacuation of over 3,000 residents. The Miyun Reservoir has seen a record flow surge to 6,550 cubic meters per second, putting additional pressure on flood defenses. Meteorologists warn that rainfall will intensify across the capital, with some areas expected to receive over 100 millimeters in six hours, increasing the danger of waterlogging and further landslides. The city has already issued geological disaster alerts as this recent storm comes just weeks after another bout of extreme rainfall brought a year’s worth of precipitation to Baoding. This flooding is part of a growing pattern of extreme weather linked to the East Asian monsoon, which scientists say is worsening due to global warming. Over 46,000 people in Baoding alone have been affected by the latest storms, with more than 4,600 forced to evacuate, underscoring the strain on China’s aging flood defenses and the risk these events pose to its population and $2.8 trillion agricultural sector.