Part of the city of Huanggang in China’s Hubei province was devastated by a tornado.Image: imago
07/07/2026, 09:2607/07/2026, 09:43
Heavy rains and storms have left people dead and missing in some parts of China. In the central Chinese province of Hubei, disaster control reported at least eleven deaths and another missing person, Chinese state media reported.
At least 275 people were injured. On Tuesday night, violent storms hit the east of the region in particular. Authorities evacuated hundreds of residents.
Heavy rain also kept northwest China in suspense. A landslide in Tanchang county, Gansu province, buried a total of 33 people, state television reported. Helpers have saved 17 people so far. The rescue work was still ongoing, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Dead also in Guangxi
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all forces to be mobilized to rescue and treat the injured. Just the day before, a dam burst on a reservoir in southern China triggered the highest flood warning level. Monday morning’s rupture at the Liulan Reservoir in Hengzhou in the southern Guangxi region left an entire area under water, photos showed. According to the latest official information, four people were killed and eight were missing. Tens of thousands were evacuated.
In Guangxi, the tails of a tropical storm had brought heavy rain to some areas since the weekend. Videos of flash flooding in the region were seen on social media. Further rain warnings were in effect on Tuesday for parts of the neighboring province of Guangdong as well as the eastern provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu and the provinces of Shandong, Liaoning and Jilin to the north, as the Chinese meteorological agency announced.
Super typhoon “Bavi” is approaching
In China, severe flooding occurs again and again in the summer months. This year, meteorologists expect an increased risk of extreme weather due to the climate phenomenon El Niño. In addition, it has been apparent for several years that the rain band is moving further north and that otherwise rather dry regions – such as the Beijing area – are also experiencing extreme rainfall.
The situation is likely to remain tense as typhoon “Bavi” is heading towards southeast China from the Pacific. The tropical storm, which is currently considered a super typhoon with peak winds of well over 200 km/h, could hit Taiwan on Saturday morning (local time), as the East Asian island’s weather authority announced. Beijing meteorologists expect the storm to reach China a few hours later in the afternoon. (maw/sda/dpa)