10 dead after rain and storms batter provinces in China

AT LEAST 10 people were reported dead in central and southern China following severe storms and torrential downpours, with more rain expected through mid-week, according to reports from state media.

A severe storm in the central province of Hubei caused eight deaths and left one person missing, China Central Television reported, citing regional authorities.

Further to the south, flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Maysak has led at least two deaths in Guangxi province and forced thousands of people to evacuate, according to CCTV, which cited local officials.

Torrential rain has battered Guangxi’s capital Nanning since Jul 4, and Xinhua News Agency reported a dam breach at the Liulan reservoir on Monday morning, which prompted the city to raise its emergency response for flood control to the highest level.

Downpours across the province have led to power outages for more than 59,000 people, according to China Electric Power News.

Guangxi’s hydrological centre upgraded its flood warning to the most severe level on Tuesday morning for eight cities, including Nanning and the tourist haven of Guilin. The extreme weather has forced about 48,000 people in the province to evacuate, according to CCTV.

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The National Meteorological Centre expects heavy rain to continue across parts of southern, central and eastern China through Wednesday, with extremely heavy rainfall expected in eastern Guangxi, CCTV reported. BLOOMBERG