Four people killed and at least a dozen missing as extreme weather hits China | Weather news

At least four people died after record rains hit parts of southern China, while more than a dozen were missing, even as the country's north saw some of its highest temperatures this year .

Downpours “exceeding historic daily maximums” in parts of Fujian province caused four deaths, the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday, citing the Shanghang county flood control headquarters.

More than 66,000 people in the county were affected by the extreme weather, Xinhua said, adding that “communications and electricity infrastructure… have not been fully restored.” Authorities have warned of the possibility of further landslides.

In the neighboring city of Meizhou, in Guangdong province, landslides killed five people on Monday, including 15 missing and 13 others “trapped”, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday.

CCTV footage showed overturned cars and damaged buildings near Meizhou, with residents in rubber boots rummaging through muddy, debris-laden streets to retrieve their belongings.

Other images showed sections of highway washed away by landslides and rescuers wearing orange life jackets steering rubber boats through floodwaters to reach trapped villagers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on rescue workers to “do everything possible to respond to disaster situations and do good relief and rescue work to combat floods and drought,” Xinhua reported.

He asked rescuers to “guarantee the safety of people’s lives and property, as well as overall social stability.”

Flooding also hit the southern and central provinces of Guangxi and Hunan, as well as the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where Xinhua said four people were missing after a flash flood near the city of Changji.

At the same time, northern China is wilting under some of the hottest weather conditions of the year.

The mercury is expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday in the capital Beijing and surrounding areas of Tianjin and Hebei, the National Meteorological Center said.

Authorities also decided to offer drought prevention and disaster relief services in seven provinces in northern, eastern and central China.

China is experiencing a summer of extreme weather, which scientists say is being made more frequent by climate change.