China Flood Risk Recent world climate News
According to reports from Chinese state media on Thursday, severe floods caused by heavy rains killed 16 people and left at least 18 more missing in the western Chinese province of Qinghai.
Late on Wednesday night, torrential downpours that had suddenly started over a hilly section of Qinghai produced landslides and redirected rivers, causing flash floods in a populated area. The initial impact affected more than 6,000 people in six villages, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
Emergency personnel referred to the swift flooding as a “mountain torrent,” The Associated Press reported. Mountain torrents are caused when water flowing down transforms gullies or streams into rushing rivers, frequently taking people by surprise. They happen after a strong downpour in higher elevations.
Overturned vehicles, uprooted trees, and partially washed-away highways covered in debris could all be seen in a video of the aftermath that was posted online, according to the AP.
According to Reuters, the local administration has dispatched a rescue team of 2,000 people as well as 160 vehicles for disaster relief.
By early Thursday afternoon, 18 of the 36 people who had been reported missing by rescuers had been located, according to a CCTV online update.
Temperatures will remain in the 70s to low 80s for the remainder of the week, and Datong County, the area most affected by the flooding in Qinghai Province, should expect further showers and thunderstorms.
recentclimate – China Flood Risk