Released on, Aug. 19 — August 19, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Heavy rains in northern China have claimed at least 13 lives, with five people still missing, as authorities struggle to manage extreme weather that shows no sign of stopping soon.
State media reported that three bodies were recovered from floodwaters in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, while three others went missing near the banks of the Yellow River, roughly 70 kilometers away.
Monday’s downpour, the first of three consecutive storms forecast in the region, dumped more than 204 mm of rain in less than 24 hours, exceeding August’s monthly average by over double.
Earlier, on Saturday, a flash flood swept through Bayannur’s grasslands after a river burst its banks, killing at least ten people and leaving 13 campers stranded; one was rescued while two remain missing.
Search efforts by rescue crews persist in Ordos, close to Baotou—a key center for rare earth minerals—amid severe rain and floods posing risks to facilities and potentially forcing many from their homes.
Weather experts caution that intense precipitation connected to global warming presents increasing difficulties for officials, straining outdated flood protection systems, resulting in financial damage, and endangering millions of people living in northern China.