Storms dump a year of rain on North China, Beijing braces for floods
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US issues new North Korea-related sanctions
The United States Department of the Treasury on Thursday issued sanctions against three individuals and a company based in North Korea and China. The department said on its website.
Item 1 of 2 Signage is seen at the United States Department of the Treasury headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
July 24 (Reuters) – The United States Department of the Treasury on Thursday issued sanctions against three individuals and a company based in North Korea and China, the department said on its website.
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Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto and Brendan O’Brien in Chicago
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Storms dump a year of rain on North China, Beijing braces for floods
Storms in northern China have poured nearly a year’s rainfall on Baoding, an industrial city on the doorstep of capital Beijing. Over 19,000 people out of their homes as streets began to go under water and roads were cut off. Heavy rains disrupted railway service in Inner Mongolia as authorities suspended several passenger trains through high-risk areas from Friday. Northern China has witnessed record-breaking rainfall in recent years, exposing densely populated cities including Beijing to flood risks. Some scientists link the higher rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming. The Chinese government on Friday allocated 23,000 items for disaster relief, including emergency kits and blankets, to support local authorities in Hebei, Shaanxi and Hengchun provinces, state media reported. The heavy rains are part of a broader pattern of extreme weather across China due to the East Asian monsoon, which has caused disruptions in the world’s second-largest economy.
Over 19,000 people evacuated, bridge and road access affected
Hebei sees higher-than-average annual rainfall in recent years
Beijing to brace for heaviest rainfall in recent weeks
Some trains in Inner Mongolia suspended for safety
BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) – Storms in northern China have poured nearly a year’s rainfall on Baoding, an industrial city on the doorstep of capital Beijing, forcing over 19,000 people out of their homes as streets began to go under water and roads were cut off.
As much as 448.7 mm (17.7 inches) of rain fell in Yi, an area in western Baoding, in the 24 hours to early Friday morning, triggering flash floods, causing power outages in some villages and damaging bridges and roads, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
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The rainfall set records at a number of weather stations in Hebei province, which Baoding is part of. Official records show annual rainfall in Baoding averages above 500 mm.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, any people missing or damage in state media.
Some 19,453 people from 6,171 households were evacuated, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said in a social media post.
The forecaster did not mention where the residents were moved to, but shared a short clip showing two policemen in neon rain jackets boot-deep on a waterlogged street as rain poured down.
The forecaster compared the amount of precipitation to the exceptional rainfall brought by a powerful typhoon in 2023, which inundated the capital Beijing with rains unseen since records began 140 years ago.
Baoding’s Zhuozhou, which suffered devastating floods in those rains two years ago, saw access to several bridges and roads cut off after the storms unleashed more than 190 mm of rain by Friday morning.
Northern China has witnessed record-breaking rainfall in recent years, exposing densely populated cities including Beijing to flood risks. Some scientists link the higher rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming.
In response to flood disasters in Hebei and also in several places in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, the Chinese government on Friday allocated 23,000 items for disaster relief, including emergency kits and blankets, to support local authorities.
Hebei province recorded 640.3 mm in annual rainfall last year, 26.6% more than its decades-long average, according to CMA’s 2024 climate bulletin on the province.
The report said Hebei has been recording consecutive above-average annual precipitation since 2020.
Last summer, Baoding, together with neighbouring cities Zhangjiakou, Langfang, Xiongan and Cangzhou had 40% more than the usual seasonal precipitation, with some localised areas within Baoding recording 80% more rains, the report showed.
The intensifying rainfall forms 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.
Chinese authorities are watchful of extreme rainfall and severe flooding as they challenge China’s ageing flood defences, threaten to displace millions and wreak havoc on a $2.8 trillion agricultural sector.
Baoding maintained a red alert for heavy rains on Friday morning, while Hebei upgraded its emergency response preparedness.
Beijing, which is about 160 km (100 miles) from Baoding, was not spared the impact.
Rains were forecast to intensify, potentially accumulating to more than 50 mm over a six-hour period from Friday afternoon till Saturday morning in a number of districts, CCTV said.
The capital is expected to see the heaviest rainfall since its flooding season began, potentially triggering debris rushing down mountains, landslides and other secondary disasters, CCTV reported.
Beijing later on Friday issued flash flood alerts for four of its 16 districts, warning of a rapid rise in stormwater especially in the capital’s mountainous north and west through Saturday morning.
Elsewhere in the country’s north, heavy rains disrupted railway service in Inner Mongolia as authorities suspended several passenger trains passing through high-risk areas from Friday to Tuesday.
Reporting by Liz Lee, Shi Bu and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Saad Sayeed and Lincoln Feast
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UK advises against travel to parts of Cambodia and Thailand
Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia on Thursday after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians. Britain’s foreign ministry on Thursday has advised against all but essential travel to parts of Cambodia and Thailand. Both blamed each other for starting a morning clash at a disputed area of the border.
July 24 (Reuters) – Britain’s foreign ministry on Thursday has advised against all but essential travel to parts of Cambodia and Thailand following the worst fighting between the countries in 13 years.
Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia on Thursday after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians, as border tension boiled over into rare armed conflict between the Southeast Asian countries.
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Both blamed each other for starting a morning clash at a disputed area of the border , which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 kilometres (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century.
Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese
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Over 19,000 evacuated as storms dump nearly a year of rain in northern China
Storms in northern China have poured nearly a year’s rainfall on Baoding, an industrial city on the doorstep of capital Beijing. Over 19,000 people out of their homes as streets began to go under water and roads were cut off. There were no immediate reports of casualties, any people missing or damage in state media. Northern China has witnessed record-breaking rainfall in recent years, exposing densely populated cities, including Beijing, to flood risks. Some scientists link the higher rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming. China’s southern Hunan province has suffered several days of heavy rain and flooding. Authorities are watchful of extreme rainfall and severe flooding as they challenge China’s aging flood defences, threaten to displace millions and wreak havoc on a US$2.8 trillion agricultural sector. The capital is expected to see the heaviest rainfall since its flooding season began, potentially triggering debris rushing down mountains, landslides and other secondary disasters.
As much as 448.7 millimetres of rain fell in Yi, an area in western Baoding, in the 24 hours to early Friday morning, triggering flash floods, causing power outages in some villages and damaging bridges and roads, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The rainfall set records at a number of weather stations in Hebei province, which Baoding is part of. Official records show annual rainfall in Baoding averages above 500 millimetres.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, any people missing or damage in state media.
Some 19,453 people from 6,171 households were evacuated, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said in a social media post.
Debris is pictured on a street after floodwaters receded in Rongjiang county of Guizhou province, China. (Reuters Photo)
The forecaster did not mention where the residents were moved to, but shared a short clip showing two police officers in neon rain jackets boot-deep on a waterlogged street as rain poured down.
The forecaster compared the amount of precipitation to the exceptional rainfall brought by a powerful typhoon in 2023, which inundated the capital Beijing with rains unseen since records began 140 years ago.
Baoding’s Zhuozhou, which suffered devastating floods in those rains two years ago, saw access to several bridges and roads cut off after the storms unleashed more than 190 millimetres of rain by Friday morning.
Northern China has witnessed record-breaking rainfall in recent years, exposing densely populated cities, including Beijing, to flood risks.
Some scientists link the higher rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming.
China’s weather forecaster did not mention where the flood-affected residents were moved to. (Reuters Photo)
In response to flood disasters in Hebei and also in several places in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, the Chinese government allocated 23,000 items for disaster relief, including emergency kits and blankets, to support local authorities.
Hebei province recorded 640.3 millimetres in annual rainfall last year, 26.6 per cent more than its decades-long average, according to CMA’s 2024 climate bulletin on the province.
The report said Hebei has been recording consecutive above-average annual precipitation since 2020.
Last summer, Baoding, together with neighbouring cities Zhangjiakou, Langfang, Xiongan and Cangzhou, had 40 per cent more than the usual seasonal precipitation, with some localised areas within Baoding recording 80 per cent more rains, the report showed.
The intensifying rainfall forms 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 floods from weakened Typhoon Gaemi as death toll rises Photo shows A man wearing red holds two children, in front of a boat floating on brown water. China’s southern Hunan province has suffered several days of heavy rain and flooding.
Chinese authorities are watchful of extreme rainfall and severe flooding as they challenge China’s aging flood defences, threaten to displace millions and wreak havoc on a US$2.8 trillion agricultural sector.
Baoding maintained a red alert for heavy rains on Friday morning, while Hebei upgraded its emergency response preparedness.
Beijing, which is about 160 kilometres from Baoding, was not spared the impact.
Rains were forecast to intensify, potentially accumulating to more than 50 millimetres over a six-hour period from Friday afternoon till Saturday morning in a number of districts, CCTV said.
The capital is expected to see the heaviest rainfall since its flooding season began, potentially triggering debris rushing down mountains, landslides and other secondary disasters, CCTV reported.
Beijing later on Friday issued flash flood alerts for four of its 16 districts, warning of a rapid rise in stormwater especially in the capital’s mountainous north and west through Saturday morning.
Elsewhere in the country’s north, heavy rains disrupted railway service in Inner Mongolia as authorities suspended several passenger trains passing through high-risk areas from Friday to Tuesday.
Reuters
Cambodia backs ceasefire proposal to resolve conflict with Thailand – PM
Cambodia and Thailand are locked in their heaviest fighting in over a decade. Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim – also the chair of the regional bloc ASEAN – is seeking to resolve the conflict. Cambodia’s prime minister said on Friday that he had supported a proposal for a ceasefire.
July 25 (Reuters) – Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Manet said on Friday that he had supported a proposal by the Malaysian premier for a ceasefire with Thailand, which later withdrew its initial backing of the plan.
The two Southeast Asian neighbours are currently locked in their heaviest fighting in over a decade, which Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim – also the chair of the regional bloc ASEAN – is seeking to resolve.
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“The key to resolving the current armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is the genuine willingness of the Thai side to accept a ceasefire,” the Cambodian premier said in a Facebook post.
Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by David Stanway
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