Floods and landslides due to heavy rains have caused at least 60 deaths and damage to 35,452 acres of farmland in China from June 17 to June 24, with downpours expected to continue until at least the end of June.
On June 24, the Chinese Central Meteorological Observatory extended its forecast for heavy rainfall in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River over the next 10 days. The severe rains may result in landslides and flooding, the authorities warned, posing a significant threat to six provinces, notably Jiangxi and Hunan, which are pivotal regions for early rice cultivation in China.
As of June 24, floods in southern China have affected millions of local residents.
Guangdong—Flooding up to 2nd Floor
As of June 17, a total of 130,000 households in Meizhou City lost power, with several towns and villages cut off from communication. Severe incidents of flash floods and landslides occurred in various areas, with reports of 47 deaths, 23 missing persons, and 13 individuals trapped. At least 8,345 hectares (around 20,621 acres) of farmland were damaged.
A resident in Meizhou told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on June 17 that several surrounding low-lying towns were entirely submerged, with flood waters rising to the second floor.
Fujian—520,000 People Affected
Local news reported that multiple landslides caused by the heavy rainfall on Qingyuan Mountain in Shanghang County, Longyan City, affected 523,700 people in Fujian Province, causing six deaths, and 32,400 hectares (around 80,062 acres) of farmland damaged as of June 17.
Hunan—70 Counties Affected
In Hunan, at least 70 counties saw heavy rain, with 27 of them seeing torrential downpours, 28,140 people across 15 townships were affected by floods and multiple instances of landslides triggered by mountain torrents. Five were killed by flash floods caused by mudslides, as of June 25.
Guangxi—39,855 Acres of Farmland Affected
State media CCTV reported that flooding in Guangxi affected at least 181,500 people, and 16,149 hectares (around 39,855 acres), in 11 cities and 43 counties.
Jiangxi—142,085 Acres of Farmland Inundated
As of June 18, flooding in Jiangxi Province affected 481,000 people across 70 counties, with 57,500 hectares (around 142,085 acres) of crops damaged, and 2,400 hectares (around 5,930 acres) experiencing complete crop loss.
While the main crop regions in central and southern China for early rice suffered from the heavy rains and floods, Heilongjiang, the agricultural hub in northeastern China, is also affected.
Heavy rainfall has caused damage to more than 6,000 hectares (14,826 acres) of crops in Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang, reported the state media, CCTV, on June 24.
The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources issued warnings on June 24 that 22 rivers in Jiangxi, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Guizhou, and 11 rivers in Heilongjiang experienced waters exceeding alert levels due to the heavy rainfall.
Xiao Lusheng contributed to this report.
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