Rescue work continues as China grapples with flooding from heavy rainfall

Beijing: Rescue work is continuing in China's flooded areas on Thursday after days of heavy rainfall.

Rescue teams were mainly deployed in the south and east of the country, the state-run newspaper China Daily reported on Thursday. The focus is on the search for survivors and the provision of relief supplies in the affected areas.

In Meizhou, a city in Guangdong province, an elderly woman who had been trapped in her house for over 40 hours was rescued. Another resident was rescued after clinging to a lamppost.

In Shanghang County in Fujian Province, rescue workers are still searching for six people who have been missing since the collapse of a centuries-old temple following a landslide on Sunday evening.

In Guilin, a well-known tourist city in the Guangxi autonomous region, the authorities also issued the highest flood warning on Wednesday. State television spoke of the worst floods there since 1998.

The National Weather Bureau warned that other parts of the country would also have to prepare for flooding in the coming days, as the persistent band of rain is moving northwards and bringing heavy downpours.

While the south of China is struggling with rain, the north is suffering from heat and drought. Due to the flood and drought situation in China, State and Party leader Xi Jinping called for everything to be done to help those affected and to improve the forecasts.

Heavy rainfall has become more frequent and more intense in most parts of the world due to climate change. However, other human factors also play a role in flooding.