President Xi Jinping has directed comprehensive rescue operations in the arid and mountainous northwest of China following flash floods triggered by unusually heavy rainfall, resulting in the death of 10 individuals and leaving 33 others unaccounted for. The torrential rains commenced on Thursday evening, leading to flash floods in Yuzhong, Gansu province, where approximately 4,000 individuals were left stranded, as reported by China Central Television (CCTV). In a specific mountainous region, the precipitation accumulation reached 195mm (7.7 inches) since Thursday evening, whereas Yuzhong typically experiences 300-400mm of rainfall throughout the entire year.
Yuzhong’s location amidst gullies and wind-blown silt hills on a vast loess plateau renders it susceptible to flash floods and landslides due to the soil’s loose composition. A video released by CCTV depicted ankle-high muddy water flowing down a hilly road lined with uprooted trees. Recent weeks have witnessed unprecedented rainfall in both northern and southern China, with meteorologists attributing these extreme weather occurrences to climate change. Since late July, heavy rains and floods have claimed the lives of at least 60 individuals in various parts of northern China, including the capital city, Beijing.