At least eight people have been killed after powerful thunderstorms swept across Hubei Province in central China, as authorities warned that more severe weather is expected to affect regions home to nearly 200 million people.
According to Chinese state media, destructive storms struck several cities in Hubei on Monday evening, with Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou and Xianning experiencing winds of up to 149kph over a four-hour period. The extreme weather caused widespread disruption and claimed at least eight lives.
China’s National Meteorological Centre has since issued fresh warnings, forecasting torrential rainfall of up to 260mm over the next 24 hours in parts of Guangxi, Jiangsu and Shandong. Authorities cautioned that the intense downpours could trigger flash floods and landslides, while other areas in the country’s northeast and south face the risk of tornadoes.
The severe weather has also raised concerns for China’s agricultural sector. Hubei and Shandong, both major farming provinces, could see significant damage to crops such as corn, peanuts and vegetables, which are due to be harvested later in the season. Extreme weather events continue to pose growing challenges to food production and rural communities.
Scientists have linked the increasing frequency of devastating floods, storms and heatwaves in China to climate change. In recent years, extreme weather has caused billions of dollars in economic losses by inundating cities, disrupting industries and damaging farmland across the country.
Meanwhile, China is also closely monitoring the approach of Super Typhoon Bavi, which is moving across the Pacific Ocean towards Taiwan. According to the US National Weather Service, the powerful storm was packing sustained winds of up to 180mph as it swept past Guam, Tinian, Saipan and Rota on Monday, prompting heightened vigilance across the region.
