Beijing (AFP) – Strong winds and lightning storms have killed at least 15 people in central and southern China, where President Xi Jinping has called for help for those affected, state media reported on Tuesday.
First modification: 07/07/2026 – 11:54Last modified: 07/07/2026 – 13:51
1 minute Reading time
The central province of Hubei was hit by a severe weather event that left 11 people dead and one missing, state news agency Xinhua said.
Four more people died in the southern region of Guanxi, which was also hit by rains and floods, leaving eight people missing and more than 50,000 evacuated, state television CCTV reported.
Xi called for “every possible effort” to carry out rescue operations in the affected areas, “take care of the wounded and resettle the affected residents,” he added.
“The scale of the damage is being clarified and rescue efforts are continuing,” CCTV reported.
Heavy rains will continue to hit parts of coastal and eastern Guanxi on Wednesday, as well as southwest neighboring Guangdong province, an important manufacturing hub, China’s Water Resources Minister Li Guoying said on Tuesday.
He added that flooding was expected to exceed the alarm level by more than six meters late Tuesday at the Guigang hydrological station, one of the hardest-hit cities in Guanxi.
“The safety of reservoirs and dams in the affected areas is being seriously tested,” he stressed.
Natural disasters are common in China, especially in the summer, when some regions experience heavy downpours and others are bleached by the sun.
Scientists warn that the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as the planet warms due to fossil fuel emissions.
© 2026 AFP