Widespread, severe flooding forces over 200,000 from their homes in southern China
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jun 15, 2020 6:05 PM EDT
It's been a disastrous start to the wet season in southern China as rounds of flooding rain and thunderstorms continue to track across the region. Multiple deaths and a massive evacuation for hundreds of thousands of people are being blamed on the persistent deluge.
Heavy flooding rainfall tracked across southern China last week and over the weekend. Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces as well as Chongqing municipality were, and continue to be, some of the hardest hit provinces.
The downpours turned streets into rivers and flooded buildings in parts of Chongqing on Sunday. More than 30,000 people have been affected by the flooding in the municipality, including over 7,000 who were forced from their homes.
According to CGTN, waters rose about 1 meter (3 feet) before gradually receding after an hour, leaving a thick layer of mud behind. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland have also been destroyed by the deluge of rain.
The risk of flash flooding and mudslides will remain high in the area through at least the end of the week as rain and thunderstorms remain in the forecast for Chongqing.
After days of rainstorm, Tonggu town was partially flooded, cornfields and main roads have been damaged, which must have been 1 meter deep, Youyang County of Chongqing, China, 13 June, 2020. (Reuters via local media)
This wet pattern has been ongoing since the beginning of June and has forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes across southern China.
At least 228,000 people have evacuated to emergency shelters because of flooding, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Dozens of people dead or missing are being blamed on the floodwaters. In the southern region of Guangxi, at least six people are reported dead and one missing, and seven people are reportedly dead in Hunan with an additional person missing due to last week's rain.
This inundation of rain is not uncommon for southern China during this time of year, often called the plum rain. This wet season begins when the mei-yu front sets up over southeastern Asia.
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The mei-yu front is a largely stationary feature that develops over southeastern China and Taiwan during the late spring and early summer. Rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms track across this area and threaten devastating flash flooding and high rivers.
Nanning, located in the Guangxi region, typically reports 200 mm (8.00 inches) of rain during the month of June; so far this month, the city has reported 86.4 mm (3.40 inches). The significant flooding in the province is located to the southeast of the capitol city.
In Changsha, Hunan, 265.2 mm (10.44 inches) of rain has fallen since the start of May. During May and June, the city typically reports 268.0 mm (10.55 inches) of rain.
From May to August, Nanning and Changsha typically report 812.3 mm (31.98 inches) and 523.5 mm (20.61 inches) of rain respectively.
Dams have been built across the river valleys in southeastern China in an effort to mitigate the impacts from the wet season, including the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River.
The recent heavy rain has caused rivers to swell and has also sent spectators to the area's waterfalls. On Sunday, the Huangguoshu waterfall recorded its biggest flow of the year.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue across southern China this week, periods of rain and thunderstorms will continue to soak the area. While some of the heaviest downpours are forecast to remain to the north into the middle of the week, torrential rains may return to the hard-hit areas of southern China by the end of the week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Widespread, severe flooding forces over 200,000 from their homes in southern China
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jun 15, 2020 6:05 PM EDT
It's been a disastrous start to the wet season in southern China as rounds of flooding rain and thunderstorms continue to track across the region. Multiple deaths and a massive evacuation for hundreds of thousands of people are being blamed on the persistent deluge.
Heavy flooding rainfall tracked across southern China last week and over the weekend. Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces as well as Chongqing municipality were, and continue to be, some of the hardest hit provinces.
The downpours turned streets into rivers and flooded buildings in parts of Chongqing on Sunday. More than 30,000 people have been affected by the flooding in the municipality, including over 7,000 who were forced from their homes.
According to CGTN, waters rose about 1 meter (3 feet) before gradually receding after an hour, leaving a thick layer of mud behind. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland have also been destroyed by the deluge of rain.
The risk of flash flooding and mudslides will remain high in the area through at least the end of the week as rain and thunderstorms remain in the forecast for Chongqing.
After days of rainstorm, Tonggu town was partially flooded, cornfields and main roads have been damaged, which must have been 1 meter deep, Youyang County of Chongqing, China, 13 June, 2020. (Reuters via local media)
This wet pattern has been ongoing since the beginning of June and has forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes across southern China.
At least 228,000 people have evacuated to emergency shelters because of flooding, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Dozens of people dead or missing are being blamed on the floodwaters. In the southern region of Guangxi, at least six people are reported dead and one missing, and seven people are reportedly dead in Hunan with an additional person missing due to last week's rain.
This inundation of rain is not uncommon for southern China during this time of year, often called the plum rain. This wet season begins when the mei-yu front sets up over southeastern Asia.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The mei-yu front is a largely stationary feature that develops over southeastern China and Taiwan during the late spring and early summer. Rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms track across this area and threaten devastating flash flooding and high rivers.
Nanning, located in the Guangxi region, typically reports 200 mm (8.00 inches) of rain during the month of June; so far this month, the city has reported 86.4 mm (3.40 inches). The significant flooding in the province is located to the southeast of the capitol city.
In Changsha, Hunan, 265.2 mm (10.44 inches) of rain has fallen since the start of May. During May and June, the city typically reports 268.0 mm (10.55 inches) of rain.
From May to August, Nanning and Changsha typically report 812.3 mm (31.98 inches) and 523.5 mm (20.61 inches) of rain respectively.
Related:
Dams have been built across the river valleys in southeastern China in an effort to mitigate the impacts from the wet season, including the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River.
The recent heavy rain has caused rivers to swell and has also sent spectators to the area's waterfalls. On Sunday, the Huangguoshu waterfall recorded its biggest flow of the year.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue across southern China this week, periods of rain and thunderstorms will continue to soak the area. While some of the heaviest downpours are forecast to remain to the north into the middle of the week, torrential rains may return to the hard-hit areas of southern China by the end of the week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo