Catastrophic flash floods in northwestern China cause a minimum of 10 fatalities
Heavy Rainstorms Continue to Wreak Havoc in China
China is currently grappling with the aftermath of heavy rainstorms that have been raging in northern and eastern parts of the country for several days. The weather service has warned of further heavy rainfall, particularly in these regions, raising concerns about potential flooding and landslides.
The storms have already taken a devastating toll, with at least 70 lives lost due to severe weather since mid-May. The Beijing region has been hit hardest, with at least 38 people confirmed dead and 33 people missing. The north-eastern suburb of Miyun, in particular, has been severely affected, reporting 28 deaths.
President Xi Jinping has demanded the "utmost effort" in rescuing the missing people and has ordered all regions to "resolutely overcome complacency" and increase efforts to identify risks due to the frequent occurrence of extreme weather.
The flooding in the Miyun district has caused significant damage to roads and parts of the communication infrastructure. In addition, the floods in the Yuzhong mountain area have resulted in no power and telecommunications services, leaving more than 4,000 people stranded across four villages.
To make matters worse, the water level of a reservoir in Miyun has reached its highest level since its construction in 1959. More than 80,000 residents have been brought to safety due to the flooding in the Beijing region.
Heavy rain has also caused flash floods and at least one landslide in Guangdong province, China. The small town of Taishitun, about 100 km northeast of Beijing's city centre, has streets blocked by uprooted trees due to heavy rain.
China, which is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases that drive climate change, has been experiencing an increased frequency of natural disasters, particularly floods and landslides. Floods are a major natural disaster in China, peaking typically between late July and early August, which is the main flood season. Floods alone accounted for 90% of the total economic damage caused by natural disasters in the first half of 2025, and nearly a third of deaths related to these events occurred during this period.
Apart from Sichuan, other regions vulnerable to floods and landslides tend to coincide with China's diverse topography and hydrology, including areas affected by typhoons and tropical cyclones along coastal provinces.
China aims to make its economy carbon-neutral by 2060, but the current heavy rainstorms highlight the urgent need for action to mitigate the impact of climate change on the country's population and infrastructure.
The heavy rainstorms in China, exacerbated by climate change, have resulted in a significant economic impact, with floods alone accounting for 90% of the total economic damage caused by natural disasters in the first half of 2025. The media has been covering the urgent need for China to address the increasing frequency of natural disasters, such as floods and landslides, in order to make its economy carbon-neutral by 2060. The world watches closely as China grapples with the aftermath of these storms, noting the potential long-term effect on the nation's climate and media landscape.
