China is grappling with a summer of extreme weather, resulting in deadly storms and widespread devastation.
Recent storms have claimed at least five lives, and the search is on for eight missing individuals in Shaanxi province, as reported by state news agency Xinhua.
The heavy rains that began on Tuesday have triggered severe flooding across northern and central China. In Shaanxi, the city of Baoji has been particularly hard-hit, experiencing landslides and mudslides due to relentless downpours.
The floods have forced more than 2,000 residents to evacuate their homes and disrupted railway lines. Neighboring provinces Gansu and Henan have also been severely impacted.
Authorities are on high alert as the Chinese Meteorological Service predicts more heavy rain in the eastern province of Shandong and the southwestern province of Sichuan until Saturday.
A Summer of Extreme Weather
China is enduring a summer marked by unprecedented weather extremes.
A few weeks ago, heavy rain and flooding wreaked havoc in the east and south, while the north battled successive heat waves.
Researchers point to man-made climate change as a driving force behind the increasing intensity and frequency of these extreme weather events.
As the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China plays a significant role in the global warming crisis, which is contributing to the planet's volatile climate.
