Violent storms hit China by Steph Ball
Severe storms have lashed central and eastern parts of China this week killing scores of people and disrupting transport across a wide area. Torrential rains have given rise to mud flows and landslides which left around 32 people dead, while several people were killed by lightning strikes.
Around 18 centimetres of rain fell in three hours in Jinan, the capital of the eastern Shandong province flash flooding roads and cutting off electricity and water supplies. Thousands of acres of crops have also been destroyed as a result of the flooding.
An intense thunderstorm which broke out in the central province of Chongqing produced an estimated 42,000 lightning bolts and caused flooding that destroyed around 10,000 homes which lead to the evacuation of 113,000 people.
The severe storms and flooding this week come after many parts of central, eastern and southern China have been lashed by heavy storms over the past few weeks.
China is affected by deadly flooding annually, and millions of people in central and southern areas live on reclaimed farmland on flood plains. According to officials, summer floods and landslides have claimed the lives of around 500 people in China so far this summer.
With more rain forecast for central regions of the country this week it is likely that there would be more disruption and damage.
