The residents of Pingtou, a small village in China's southern Guangdong province, are grappling with the worst floods in living memory. While the region is accustomed to typhoons and seasonal downpours, this week’s flooding has shocked even the oldest villagers.
Between August 2 and 6, a record 622.6 mm (24.5 inches) of rain fell on Guangzhou, the provincial capital—nearly three times the city’s average August rainfall. According to state media, at least seven people died in Guangzhou, while no fatalities have been confirmed in Pingtou so far.
In Pingtou, the flooding has left homes submerged and streets waterlogged. Villagers waded through brown, knee-deep water on Friday, dragging damaged belongings from their homes. At least four buildings collapsed during the torrential rains.
“The older folks say that in the 100 years we've been here, they've never seen flooding like this,” said Mr. Zhong, a resident in his 50s. Water marks on nearby homes rose more than a metre high.
Lack of warning and support
Despite the scale of the flooding, residents say they received no warning or alerts. Many were caught off guard during the night.
73-year-old Zhang was woken by her daughter-in-law and took shelter in her son’s two-storey home. The next morning, she discovered her own house had collapsed.
“I’d been living in that house for over 50 years,” she said, sifting through the wreckage.
Others echoed frustration over the absence of government support. Mr. Zhong said officials told residents there was no relief aid available.
“There wasn’t even a bottle of mineral water provided,” he said.
Economic loss for farmers
Outside the village, local fish and duck farmer Hu Songlin said the floods had swept away his fish stock, causing immediate losses estimated at 120,000 yuan.
“Now we won’t be able to earn a single cent,” his wife Hua said.
Wider climate impact across China
The crisis in Pingtou is part of a larger pattern of extreme weather affecting China. The country is currently dealing with record rainfall in both its northern and southern regions, alongside extended heatwaves in its interior provinces.
On Thursday, China’s central government announced 430 million yuan ($59.9 million) in additional disaster relief funding, raising the total since April to over 5.8 billion yuan. Yet, many local communities, such as Pingtou, report not seeing this support on the ground.
Climate change a driving factor
Experts point to climate change as a key driver of the country’s increasing weather volatility.
“Global warming can lead to more intense rainfall,” said Professor Johnny Chan of the City University of Hong Kong. “But there’s only so much water—so when one region gets more, others get less. We're seeing wetter areas get wetter, and dry regions become even drier.”
Uzbekistan could lose up to $1.5 billion if escalating Middle East tensions disrupt vital trade and logistics routes through Iran, putting pressure...
Pakistan is turning to more U.S. crude as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz exposes the risks of its heavy reliance on Gulf energy supplies....
Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony after being convicted of criticising Rus...
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Monday it was reviewing U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on scaling back joint military drills. It added that it hoped a favourable relationship between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks.
Ukraine has targeted at least 20 Wildberries warehouses across Russia since 18 July, disrupting a major logistics network. Kyiv says the strikes aim to disrupt alleged military-linked supplies, while the attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses and wider economic pressure.
A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate to safety and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.
Rhossi, a rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle that washed up near death on a Welsh beach in 2023, has returned to Texas after more than two years of rehabilitation in the UK.
Glacier coverage in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin has shrunk by 33.7 per cent over the past 70–90 years, according to an updated glacier inventory by Kyrgyzhydromet. The agency says the pace of glacier retreat has accelerated sharply in recent years.
Extreme heat and historically low river levels are forcing nuclear power plants across Southeast Europe to reduce production, increasing pressure on already stretched electricity supplies and prompting governments to call for lower consumption.
Flash floods in Gansu Province in China's northwest last week killed 25 people and injured 23 more, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday, raising earlier death tolls.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment