Large parts of China have been put on extreme weather alert as extreme heat threatens drought in the north, while at the same time, southern regions have been hit by heavy rain and flooding.
State television reported on Monday that floods in the southern province of Guangxi had caused total economic damage of about 329 million yuan ($45 million, 42 million euros) after blocking transport routes and affecting homes and crops.
Farmland in Fujian province has already suffered direct losses of about $225 million on 12,350 hectares.
The capital Beijing has issued the second-highest heat warning, with temperatures expected to exceed 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.
Deaths reported after landslides in Fujian province
Local media reported that about 11,000 people in need of vital aid in Guangxi had to be moved from flooded roads to rafts, while the elderly had to be carried through floodwaters.
Another 11,100 in Guangdong were evacuated from areas near dams as a precaution.
Reuters news agency cited state broadcaster CCTV in a report that a landslide in Fujian province left four people dead and two others missing after seven days of heavy rain.
Authorities in the province evacuated about 36,000 people due to flooding as rains were expected to continue beyond Monday.
Rainstorms with heavy downpours of more than 70 millimeters per hour are expected in the southeastern and western provinces on Monday.
Stormy conditions in northern China
Meanwhile, northern China, including the capital Beijing, has endured high temperatures over the past week with hot conditions expected to continue.
The National Meteorological Center issued a heat warning and forecast maximum temperatures of around 39 degrees Celsius for Monday in parts of Beijing and surrounding areas and the Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia regions in the west.
Temperatures are expected to rise further in some parts on Tuesday with maximums of up to 40 degrees Celsius.
The scant rainfall in northern China has raised concerns about its impact on agricultural production.
China’s Vice Premier Liu Guozhong called for drought prevention measures on Saturday during an inspection tour of Hebei province, which borders Beijing.
Liu said water resources should be allocated scientifically and water conservation for agriculture should be strengthened, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
China has experienced extreme weather events in recent years, which experts say are linked to rising global temperatures caused in large part by carbon emissions.
Climate change is also believed to be behind recent deadly heat waves in India and Southeast Asia.
kb/ab (dpa, Reuters)
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