Authorities warn of intensifying conditions and heightened disaster risks in the coming days.
A landslide triggered by unusually heavy rain has killed four people and left eight others missing in northern China’s Hebei province, state media report, as authorities issue flood warnings in capital Beijing and at least 11 provinces.
The landslide in a village near Chengde city was “due to heavy rainfall”, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday.
Authorities relocated more than 4,400 people as relentless rain continued to pound the suburban area of Miyun in Beijing, causing flash floods and landslides, affecting many villages, CCTV said.
Images circulated on China’s WeChat app showed areas of Miyun where cars and trucks were floating on a flooded road, and residential buildings were submerged. Electricity cuts also affected more than 10,000 people in the area, CCTV said.
Northern China has seen record precipitation in recent years, exposing densely populated cities, including Beijing, to flood risks. Some scientists link the increased rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming.
The Central Meteorological Observatory said heavy rainfall would continue to drench northern China over the next three days. The Water Resources Ministry has issued targeted flood warnings in 11 provinces and regions.
Beijing issued its highest-level flood alert on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency said. The national emergency management department said it dispatched a team to inspect the “severe” flooding in Hebei, which encircles Beijing.
In Shanxi province, videos from state media showed roads filled with water and submerged vegetation, including crops and trees. The province, home to China’s historic city of Xian, also issued flash flood disaster risk warnings on Monday.
The storms are part of the broader pattern of extreme weather across China due to the East Asian monsoon, which has caused disruptions in the world’s second-largest economy.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission said on Monday it was urgently arranging 50 million yuan ($7m) to support Hebei, Xinhua reported. The funds would be used to repair damaged roads and bridges, water conservancy embankments, schools and hospitals in the disaster area.
Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heatwaves.
Flash floods in eastern China’s Shandong province killed two people and left 10 missing this month. A landslide on a highway in Sichuan province this month also killed five people after it swept several cars down a mountainside.
