Heavy rains have brought factories and transportation to a standstill in China – Reuters

In central and southern China, schools have been closed and industrial operations suspended due to widespread flooding and landslides. 

This was reported by the Reuters news agency. It has now been officially confirmed that at least 18 people have died as a result of the devastating weather.

Seven provinces have been hardest hit by the heavy rains, including Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Guangdong, as well as the island of Hainan. In the Guangxi region, a vehicle carrying workers fell into a river, resulting in the deaths of eight people. In Hubei and Hunan, local authorities are forced to evacuate residents to safe areas due to flooding in residential neighborhoods.

Meteorologists at the country’s National Meteorological Center note that an abnormal amount of moisture has come from the basins of the Bay of Bengal, the Pacific Ocean, and the South China Sea. According to experts’ forecasts, the cyclone’s epicenter will shift toward the Yangtze River basin in the coming days. Rescue services continue to work around the clock to minimize the impact of the natural disaster.

People are being evacuated in southern France due to heavy rains — Euronews.

As a reminder, massive floods in Vietnam have claimed the lives of 90 people.

Also in China, a sudden downpour caused flooding.