Deadly Floods and Landslides Ravage Asia-Pacific
From Afghanistan to Taiwan, an unprecedented deluge of rain has brought flash floods, landslides and typhoons across the Asia-Pacific region, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands in one of the most severe weather events of the year. Emergency services are stretched thin as governments scramble to evacuate communities and deliver aid to isolated areas cut off by rising waters.
In eastern Afghanistan, construction worker Anar Gul described scenes of devastation in the remote Dur Baba district after ten days of non-stop rain. “It rained for 10 days and 10 nights, non-stop – I’d never seen anything like it,” Gul said. His neighbour, Sayed Afsar Sadat, watched part of his house collapse into the mud. “Rains like this are coming heavier and earlier each year,” Sadat said. “They are destroying the roads and washing away our crops. It’s impacting us directly.” At least 31 people have been confirmed dead across Afghanistan, with hundreds more missing after entire villages were swept away.
Bangladesh received a record 412.3mm of rainfall in 24 hours in early July, triggering flash floods in the Banshkhali district. Jesmin Akter, a mother of six from Chattogram, carried her children through chest-deep water to reach her mother’s house after their home collapsed. “We have lost everything,” Akter said. “Now the flood has destroyed it again. We have no money. We are surviving on the food assistance we receive from different organisations.” Her children now sleep on plastic sheets laid on wet floors, and her daughter has developed a fever from the unsanitary conditions.
China Braces for More Storms as Typhoon Noul Triggers Mass Evacuations
China has been particularly hard hit by the extreme weather. More than 600 rivers have risen above warning levels since April, a 35% jump from the five-year average, the water resources ministry said. In the south-western city of Chongqing, a landslide after torrential rain killed at least 11 people and left 50 missing, with rescue efforts still ongoing. A separate flash flood at a scenic camping spot in Gansu province killed 10 people and injured 23 others.
Typhoon Noul, the strongest to make landfall in China this year, prompted the evacuation of more than 890,000 people in Guangdong. Earlier in July, Typhoon Maysak inundated parts of Guangxi, allowing hundreds of snakes to escape from commercial snake farms. Forecasters warn more wet weather is on the way. Much of northern China, including Beijing, is expected to receive 20% to 50% more rain than usual, while four to six typhoons are forecast to make landfall this summer, above the average of 4.2.
Taiwan, which lies directly in the path of north-west Pacific typhoons, recorded its highest monthly rainfall in more than a century in June. Agricultural losses exceeded NT$330m (about US$10.2m), according to the agriculture ministry, as repeated downpours destroyed crops across the island.
Climate Scientists Warn of Worsening Weather Patterns
Japan and Vietnam have also seen torrential rain and landslides, while South Korea swings between extreme heatwaves and sudden downpours. The pattern of increasingly intense rainfall is consistent with scientific predictions of more severe weather across Asia as global temperatures rise.
“More intense rainfall is an expected consequence of us heating the planet by burning fossil fuels and building up more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said Richard Betts, head of the climate impacts strategic area at the Met Office Hadley Centre. “A warmer atmosphere can carry more water, so when it rains, it rains harder. Also hotter conditions cause air to rise faster and drive more intense thunderstorms.”
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned the disasters are becoming increasingly volatile. “These are the very real, humanitarian effects of a changing climate,” said Dr Hosam Faysal, head of the IFRC country delegation in Afghanistan. He urged governments to invest more in locally-led preparedness and mitigation before extreme weather arrives. “The coming forecast El Niño is a clear example – waiting to respond to the extreme needs we can see coming only once they arrive will cost lives.”
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