Jakarta, ThedailyID — Flash floods and landslides triggered by extreme rainfall killed at least 9 people in China, while 11 others remain missing after severe weather hit several regions since the weekend.
According to reports from Xinhua, heavy rain struck Yongchuan district in Chongqing from Saturday night until Sunday. The intense rainfall later triggered flash floods and landslides across affected areas.
Authorities evacuated around 2,000 residents to safer locations as rescue operations continued on Monday. Officials also reported severe damage in several towns and districts impacted by the disaster.
Photos circulating online showed muddy floodwaters crashing into residential neighborhoods. Meanwhile, rescue teams deployed excavators and heavy equipment to search for victims and clear damaged areas.
China frequently experiences intense rainfall during the flood season. However, meteorological agencies reported that rainfall levels this year have exceeded normal conditions in many regions.
China’s National Climate Center stated that average rainfall since April 1 reached 110.1 millimeters. The figure stands around 18.6 percent above normal seasonal levels.
Climate expert Sun Mingyang said extreme rainfall has spread across northern and southern China in recent weeks. According to Sun, 76 national-level meteorological stations recorded daily rainfall levels that broke historical records.
Several regions reported exceptionally high rainfall totals. Enping in Guangdong province recorded 597.7 millimeters of rain within a single day. Meanwhile, Jingzhou in Hubei province, Shangyou in Jiangxi province, and Guigang in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region also surpassed previous rainfall records.
Meteorologist Gao Hui explained that the extreme weather resulted from a combination of major atmospheric systems affecting East Asia. He said the western Pacific subtropical high-pressure system remained unusually strong during the past week.
According to Gao, the system continuously pushed warm and humid tropical air into mainland China. As a result, the conditions helped trigger prolonged heavy rainfall across multiple regions.
Authorities continue monitoring weather developments as rescue operations remain underway in affected areas.
