More than 40 000 people have been evacuated in China’s Sichuan province after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides. The rains have also caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.
Rescue operations are in progress in central China’s Hubei Province after a massive landslide struck a highway construction site on Saturday, July 8, 2023. The landslide, which involved over 500 000 m3 (17.6 million ft3) of soil, has led to the rescue of five individuals, while nine others remain missing, according to a statement from local authorities.
In response to severe flooding over the past couple of days, over 10 000 individuals were urgently evacuated in China’s central Hunan province, according to the Xiang’xi Emergency Management Bureau. The devastation included the collapse of around 70 homes, damages to 2 283 others, and flooded farmlands, leading to estimated losses of around 575 million yuan ($79 million).
Four people have died and three others are missing after landslides, triggered by flash floods, hit Wenchuan county in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on June 27, 2023. The landslides have led to the evacuation of more than 900 people.
Beijing experienced a record-breaking mid-June temperature of 39.4°C (103°F) on June 16, 2023, as reported by China’s meteorological authority, which has issued warnings for the public to stay indoors and avoid heatstroke.
China’s Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS), the largest of its kind globally, has been completed, according to an announcement by Min Yiren, the head of the China Earthquake Administration (CEA), on June 8, 2023. The system is anticipated to be fully functional by the end of the year, covering more than 15 000 monitoring stations, three national centers, 31 provincial centers, and 173 prefectural and municipal information release centers.
In the early hours of June 4, 2023, a catastrophic landslide in the Sichuan Province of China resulted in the confirmed deaths of 19 individuals. The landslide, which occurred in a forest park in Jinkouhe District, near the city of Leshan, ended rescue efforts and instigated an investigation into the cause of the mountain collapse.
A major tornado outbreak took place in northeast China’s province of Liaoning on June 1, 2023, spawning at least 5 large tornadoes in Fuxin, Kaiyuan, Shenyang, Huludao and other places.
The city of Shanghai in China has experienced its highest temperature in May for more than 100 years. On Monday, May 29, 2023, the mercury soared to 36.1 °C (97 °F), surpassing the previous record of 35.7 °C (96.3 °F) set in May 1876.
Nearly 500 000 people in Jiangxi province were affected by heavy rains from Friday to Sunday, May 5 – 7, 2023, leading to the evacuation of around 14 000 residents and causing an estimated 520 million yuan ($75.2 million) in direct economic losses. China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters launched a level-IV emergency response for flood control on May 6. Rescue operations are underway.
