Heavy rain along with thunderstorms and hail pummeled parts of central China's Hunan Province on Monday, flooding low-lying areas, causing damage to houses, and forcing many residents to be evacuated.
Among the worst affected areas was the province's Mayang Miao Autonomous County, which saw almost an entire month's worth of rain in the space of just 12 hours, with an average rainfall of 77 mm falling from 20:00 Monday to 08:00 Tuesday.
According to local emergency management authorities, more than 200 houses had sustained varying degrees of damage in the deluge, while around 210 residents were relocated to safer areas.
While the rain has since stopped in the county, authorities are actively working to restore infrastructure and clear debris to help restore order and allow residents to return as quickly as possible.
Local authorities in other parts of Hunan acted swiftly to evacuate affected residents and clear flooded roads as the severe weather hit.
In the Yuanling County of Huaihua City, over 540 people from areas deemed most at-risk were evacuated after local authorities initiated an emergency response for flooding on Monday evening. No casualties have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the heavy rainfall caused over 10 centimeters of floodwater to accumulate in low-lying areas of the Huayuan County, forcing over 30 residents to be relocated in the county.
Local authorities quickly mobilized to clear key routes and alleviate the flooding in the worst-hit areas, with traffic resuming on most main roads as of 23:00 Monday.
Residents evacuated, homes damaged after heavy rainstorms hit Hunan
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brasilia on Wednesday, expressing the willingness to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation.
Lula said that Brazil and China have built strong mutual trust and deepened cooperation across various fields, showing that Brazil's steadfast friendship with China is the right choice and a model for South-South cooperation.
He said that he looks forward to maintaining close high-level exchanges with China, further strengthening economic and trade ties, and expanding the mutually beneficial cooperation in finance, energy and other fields.
China's firm and forceful countermeasures against the "reciprocal tariffs" is admirable, said the Brazilian president, noting that China's just actions have received widespread support while certain country's irresponsible and unilateral practices warrant joint resistance.
Brazil is willing to work with China to advocate free trade, defend international rules, and counter any power overriding international justice, the president added.
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with Brazil to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and push for more outcomes in building a China-Brazil community with a shared future.
China will strengthen its cooperation with BRICS and Global South countries, adhere to multilateralism and safeguard international rules, he said.
On the same day, Wang attended the 15th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in Brasilia.
Brazilian president meets Chinese FM on closer ties, cooperation
