Flooding continues to affect southern China by Laura Gilchrist
Heavy rain has triggered floods and landslides in the south of the country, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to safety.
China is a country prone to natural disasters, and flooding is common in the south during the rainy season which runs between June and August. Typhoons that track inland from the Pacific Ocean during summer exacerbate the problem. The province of Fujian has been hardest hit by the recent torrential downpours, with 26 people having lost their lives since the end of May. A number of roads leading to the provincial capital Fuzhou were cut off by landslides. Neighbouring Guangdong Province has also been badly affected. Many residents in both provinces have had to seek shelter after their homes were damaged or destroyed.
While southern China is suffering from too much rain, the north of the country is gripped by severe drought. Beijing is suffering its worst drought for 50 years, and millions of people in northern provinces are suffering from a shortage of drinking water.
China Meteorological Agency forecasters are warning that further heavy rain will fall over flood-affected provinces in the coming days.
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