Flooding hits China’s south, temperatures sizzle elsewhere

By Reuters June 15, 2024 | 11:32 pm PT

A villager clears tree branches stuck on the bridge in the rain at a flooded area in Liuzhou, in south-western China's Guangxi province on June 13, 2024. Photo by AFP

China’s National Meteorological Center on June 16 issued an alert for high temperatures as multiple regions across the country experience sweltering heat, while many southern provinces issued severe flood warnings due to heavy rains.

The intensity of high temperatures is expected to decrease in north China and regions between the Yellow River and the Huaihe River, the center said.

The center forecast maximum temperatures of 37 to 39 degrees Celsius in parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Henan.Heavy rains have lashed south-eastern Fujian province for seven days and are expected to continue, with water levels in some rivers exceeding warning levels.

The authorities have released water from several reservoirs, China’s state television CCTV reported.

The authorities said water levels of some local rivers had "skyrocketed" and that a student was killed in the floods in the southern city of Guilin, CCTV reported.