China Flood Crisis: More Than 30 Confirmed Dead Amid Heavy Rains
- Torrential downpours swept across northern China, claiming over 30 lives and prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands, according to state media reports
- Beijing and its surrounding provinces were placed under severe weather alerts as landslides, submerged homes, and power outages disrupted daily life
- Authorities mobilised emergency funds and urged residents to brace for worst-case scenarios as rainfall is expected to persist through Wednesday
There are growing concerns in northern China as torrential rainstorms have killed more than 30 people and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, according to a state media report on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Authorities have scrambled emergency responses as the region endures relentless downpours, with forecasts warning of continued rainfall through Wednesday.
Source: Getty Images
The city of Beijing recorded a death toll of 30 by midnight Monday, July 28, 2025, due to heavy rainstorms, according to its municipal flood control headquarters, cited by Xinhua.
Over 80,000 residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure, Beijing Daily reported via social media.
The worst-hit area was Miyun, a northeastern suburban district of Beijing, where locals faced unusually severe flooding.
“This time the rain was unusually heavy, it’s not normally like this,” a Miyun resident surnamed Jiang told AFP as she described torrents streaming past her home. “The road is full of water, so people aren’t going to work,” she added.
In the village of Xinanzhuang, AFP journalists documented submerged homes, vehicles, and roadways. A local man in his sixties remarked that he had never seen water levels reach such heights. Spillways around the Miyun Reservoir, constructed in 1959, were gushing at full force, with authorities declaring it had reached its highest recorded level.
Other districts like Huairou in the north and Fangshan in the southwest also experienced extensive flooding. State media reported that dozens of roads were shut, and power outages affected more than 130 villages.
Hebei landslide kills eight
Neighbouring Hebei province also suffered devastation, where a landslide near Chengde city claimed the lives of eight people and left four others missing.
According to CCTV, flash flood warnings remained in effect until Tuesday evening, with Hebei’s radio and television station placing Chengde and its surrounding areas under the highest weather alert.
Officials issued cautionary guidance urging residents to heed forecasts and avoid high-risk zones.
“Please pay attention to weather forecasts and warnings and do not go to risk areas unless necessary,” Beijing Daily advised.
Government mobilises emergency funds and resources
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on authorities Monday night to prepare for worst-case scenarios and expedite evacuation efforts from flood-threatened zones. Beijing Daily noted that local governments had “made all-out efforts to search and rescue missing persons… and made every effort to reduce casualties.”
To support affected communities, the government allocated 350 million yuan (£38 million) in relief funding for nine regions, including Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Shandong, and Guangdong, according to CCTV. An additional 200 million yuan (£22 million) was earmarked specifically for Beijing.
In 2023, similar rainstorms had caused more than 80 fatalities, with Hebei suffering major losses due to redirected floodwaters aimed at protecting the capital, an action that stirred controversy at the time.
Source: Getty Images
Climate change linked to rising extreme weather
Summer in China often brings natural disasters, with alternating bouts of intense heat and heavy rainfall affecting different areas. Scientists have linked the increasing frequency and severity of such events to climate change, driven in part by greenhouse gas emissions—of which China remains the world’s largest contributor.
Thunderstorms, heavy rainfall expected across Nigeria
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has projected a stretch of thunderstorms and rainfall likely to affect various regions across the country from Sunday through Tuesday.
The forecast signals potential disruptions as both northern and southern states brace for shifting weather patterns and varying intensities of rainfall.
According to the statement released on Saturday, the weather outlook anticipates early morning thunderstorms on Sunday in several southern states, including Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Ebonyi, and Lagos, alongside parts of Taraba and Adamawa in the northeast.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
