On Thursday, northern and western parts of China were on alert for flash floods and landslides as the annual ‘Plum Rains’ continued to cause severe damage across multiple provinces. The heavy seasonal downpours triggered widespread flooding and prompted the deployment of thousands of rescue workers to save people trapped by rising waters.

Authorities issued red alerts as the rain system moved from Sichuan in the southwest, through Gansu in the northwest, and up to Liaoning in the northeast. In Henan province, more than 1,000 emergency personnel were sent to Taiping town after intense rainfall caused a nearby river to overflow. The resulting flash flood killed five people, with three still missing. The impact extended to transportation, with some train services to Beijing suspended and one of the capital’s airports reporting flight delays and cancellations.

Experts say climate change is making extreme weather more frequent and intense, placing additional strain on outdated flood control systems. The damage also threatens China’s agricultural sector, valued at around US$2.8 trillion. During last year’s ‘Plum Rains’, natural disasters caused over US$10 billion in economic losses.

In the southwestern province of Guangxi, heavy rains led to multiple buildings collapsing as their foundations were weakened by waterlogged soil. While some areas battled floods, China’s eastern seaboard faced the opposite problem, with the national weather service forecasting a wave of intense heat across coastal regions. The government continues to monitor the situation closely as the rains show no signs of stopping, raising concerns about further destruction and displacement.