Torrential Rains Swamp Northern China, Forcing Mass Evacuations in Baoding

In an alarming turn of events, storms have deluged northern China, pouring nearly a year's worth of rain on Baoding, an industrial hub near Beijing. The torrential downpour has forced over 19,000 residents to evacuate as streets became submerged and roads impassable.

Within 24 hours, Yi in western Baoding recorded 447.4 mm of rain, shattering historic records at several weather stations in Hebei province. Notably, Baoding typically experiences annual rainfall just above 500 mm. Officials confirmed the evacuation of 19,453 individuals, showing harrowing footage of policemen trudging through waterlogged streets as rain continued to lash the region.

The extreme weather pattern, akin to the 2023 typhoon that submerged Beijing, underscores a worrying trend influenced by global warming. Provincial data reveals that Hebei's rainfall last year soared 26.6% above its average, stressing China's outdated flood defenses as climate change poses escalating risks to its expansive agricultural economy.

(With inputs from agencies.)