Heavy rain battered several provincial-level regions in eastern, central and southwestern China, triggering floods and landslides, and causing widespread disruption, with search and rescue operations under way in hard-hit areas.
In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, downpours on weekends inundated urban districts including Yongchuan, Beibei and Dazu, with Yongchuan recording 298.5 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, the heaviest on record.
The water levels on several rivers running through the city rose above the warning thresholds, with some surpassing critical safety limits. Floodwater submerged multiple areas, forcing schools to suspend classes.
"The floods came in no time, very quickly. In less than half an hour, the whole area was inundated," said Zhang Bangrong, a resident in Yongchuan.
Floodwater also destroyed two bridges in Dazu District, while heavy rainfall caused the Qijiang River to swell. Shops, streets and a kindergarten were flooded in Jiangjin District.
The deluge left several people missing in Chongqing, with search and rescue efforts ongoing.
The local meteorological observatory forecast another heavy rainfall in the early morning of Monday in central, western and northeastern areas in Chongqing.
Heavy rain pushed lake water levels higher in Jingzhou City, central China's Hubei Province, where emergency crews raced against time to reinforce the endangered embankments.
"We've built a 350-meter-long and one-meter-wide levee after six hours of incessant efforts to prepare for the next round of rainfall in Jingzhou," said Meng Bing, deputy political commissar of the Jingzhou detachment of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force.
The provincial weather bureau of Hubei warned of severe downpours and thunderstorms, with gusts reaching up to 28.5 meters per second. Several scenic spots in Wuhan, the province's capital city, closed temporarily due to lightning and heavy rain.
Anhui Province in east China also reported its strongest rainfall since the start of the flood season this year.
Streets were flooded in Anqing, a city of the province, with residents reporting water levels chest-high.
"At its deepest, the floodwater reached my chest, and caused significant damage to our home. When the flood came, we tried to save our goods, but there was no way and place to relocate them safely. When the floodwater rushed in, the waves carried everything away. We could do nothing to stop it," said Ke Hongmei, a vendor.
Huangshan District in the eastern city of Huangshan was lashed by heavy rain on Sunday, flooding streets and triggering flash floods, which prompted a level-four emergency response and the evacuation of residents.
In central China's Hunan Province, a downpour was reported in northern and central parts on Monday. The local weather bureau said the province would see continued heavy rainfall over the next three days.
In Yuanling County, floodwater inundated roads, trapping a truck on Sunday. Emergency crews managed to pull its driver to safety.
China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has maintained a level-four emergency response for Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing and Anhui. The Ministry of Water Resources also activated flood response measures in Anhui, Henan, Chongqing and Shaanxi, while continuing flood alerts in Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan.
Heavy rains batter parts of China, search and rescue efforts under way
