Heavy rain “dragon boat water” hits southwestern China, flooding some cities

BEIJING – Heavy rains hit parts of southwestern China on Friday, flooding cities, engulfing roads and submerging some buildings.

The first moment of particularly heavy summer rains, known locally as ‘Dragon Boat Water’, recorded 453mm of rain in Beihai, Guangxi, on Thursday.

This was the regional daily record for June, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

Cars were half submerged in a flooded Beihai city street, and water cascaded down the stairs of one skyscraper as firefighters scrambled to rescue residents, a video circulating on social media showed.

The nearby city of Yulin had rained for 35 hours as of 7 a.m. local time on Friday, broadcaster CCTV reported.

Sudden thunderstorms are expected in the northeastern part of China, with rain forecast for the next few days, the weather bureau said.

In China, which is prone to flooding, there is growing concern about extreme weather due to climate change.

The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region experienced a rare and extreme drought in May, with rainfall dropping to its lowest level in 60 years.

Central Henan Province, China’s breadbasket, recently suffered the following damages: Heavy rains that cause crops to sprout or suffer from blight. raising concerns about food security.Reuters