BEIJING: As portions of the nation were put on high alert for terrible weather, official media reported on Sunday that a landslide in a hilly area in central China had left eight people dead.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, heavy rains caused a fatal landslide in a village in the province of Hunan. The broadcaster reported that all eight missing people “have been found with no vital signs” after four houses collapsed.
In recent months, China has seen exceptionally high temperatures together with severe weather.
Extreme weather events are becoming more common and powerful due to climate change caused by greenhouse gases released by humans, with China being the world’s largest emitter. The provinces of Hubei and Anhui were among those where meteorological authorities issued multiple red alerts, the strongest of China’s four warning levels, due to heavy rain on Sunday.
Rainfall in the heavily populated southern Guangdong province caused landslides and flooding, resulting in the deaths of at least 38 people in China’s manufacturing hub, according to official media.
While the south has been inundated with rain, temperatures in the north of China—including Beijing, where it topped 40°C last week—have been well over 35°C.
