Authorities in China’s southwestern Guizhou province have issued urgent evacuation orders as relentless rains triggered widespread flooding, river overflows, and infrastructure collapse, leaving vulnerable communities scrambling for safety.
Following days of heavy rainfall, multiple rivers in the mountainous province burst their banks, inundating nearby towns and cities. In Congjiang and Rongjiang — each home to over 300,000 residents — people living along riverbanks and in low-lying areas were urged on Tuesday to seek refuge on higher ground as floodwaters surged.
The crisis comes as the annual East Asia monsoon gains strength, drenching parts of China and extending across the region to Japan. Meteorologists say rainfall records have already been broken in several areas of southern China.
While summer floods are not uncommon in the country, scientists and government officials are increasingly warning of climate-driven weather extremes. Rising global temperatures, they say, are intensifying rainfall patterns, raising the risk of catastrophic “black swan” events such as dam failures and massive landslides.
One such disaster nearly occurred on a highway leading to Rongjiang, where a viaduct collapsed after a landslide brought down supporting columns, sending a section of road tumbling down a hillside. A cargo truck that had narrowly avoided the collapse was seen teetering dangerously over the edge, its driver awaiting rescue in a dramatic video shared online.
Elsewhere in Guizhou, roads were blocked by landslides and cave-ins, stranding vehicles and isolating communities. Urban areas such as Rongjiang also suffered severe disruptions as floodwaters inundated streets, submerged underground parking garages, and filled shopping mall basements.
Weather forecasts indicate little relief is in sight. State meteorologists expect more rainfall in the coming days and are urging heightened preparedness across storm-battered regions like Guizhou.
Meanwhile, a stark contrast played out in northern provinces such as Henan, Shandong, and Hebei, including the capital Beijing, where temperatures soared close to 40°C (104°F) on Tuesday. The extreme heat added to the growing concerns over weather volatility across China.
In a report released Monday, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) under the United Nations warned that Asia is warming at nearly twice the global average. The report highlighted that the rising temperatures are driving more intense storms, floods, and droughts, with mounting economic and humanitarian consequences.
Melissa Enoch
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