Heavy rainfall has helped alleviate drought conditions and brought relief from the summer heat in Zhumadian City in central China's Henan Province and Yunyang County in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
Before the recent cloudbursts, this part of Henan had gone over 40 days without any rain, leading to a drought that had affected local crops such as corns and peanuts.
According to local meteorological authorities, from 06:00 on Wednesday to 06:00 on Thursday, the city experienced showers and thundershowers, with 26 monitoring stations recording more than 50 millimeters of rain, and some seeing up to 103.4 millimeters of rain.
"This round of rainfall will help alleviate the current drought in our city's farmland, benefiting the pollination and irrigation of corns, as well as the pod formation and full growth of peanuts, which are crucial for the later yield of autumn crops. However, due to the uneven distribution of rainfall, farmlands in some local areas may still experience a lingering or worsening drought. We still need to continue irrigation to ensure a good harvest," said Jia Haosong, director of the Zhumadian Meteorological Observatory.
Yunyang County welcomed heavy rains and gusty winds on Tuesday after several days of a scorching heat, with temperatures dropping from 42 degrees Celsius to a more comfortable 33 degrees.
"The sun was scorching hot for the past few days, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. Today it rained and it's very cool, even though the rain was a bit heavy," said Yu Dezhao, a local driver.
Heavy rainfall battered several towns in Yunyang County on Tuesday, with the highest recorded rainfall reaching 104.2 millimeters, but the rain had started to ease by Tuesday evening. Meteorologists have forecast more rain for the coming days.
Heavy rainfall brings relief from summer heat in China's Henan, Chonging
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
