Thousands evacuated as Sepat reaches central China by John Hammond
Around 600,000 people have been forced to evacuate in the Hunan province of central China as the remnants of tropical storm Sepat affects parts of the country.
Major tributaries of the Xiangjiang River in Hunan have reached record high levels after five days of torrential rain. Over 100 counties in eastern and southern parts of the province have suffered high winds, heavy rain and flooding. Several landslides have also been reported. One of the worst hit counties in Hunan was Yongxing, which received 196mm (7.7 inches) since the typhoon remnants struck the province on Tuesday.
The death toll from typhoon Sepat which has swept central and southeastern China has now reached 39 with a further eight people still missing. Around 1.76 million people have been evacuated from their homes, with 340,000 hectares of farmland washed away.
China has had its fair share of torrential rain since the summer rainy season began. Earlier this month, tropical storm Pabuk struck southern areas of the country affecting more than a million people and destroying thousands of homes. Government officials said that the severe weather in July 2007 alone has killed 712 and left 163 missing across China.
