Monsoon Landslides, Floods Kill Dozens, Disrupt Southern China, Himalayan Region

Southern China is experiencing severe flooding and landslides triggered by record-breaking monsoon rains, with Guangdong Province, including Guangzhou, facing the second-heaviest August rainfall this century. The intense rains have resulted in at least two deaths, several missing persons, widespread urban flooding, infrastructure damage, and flight disruptions at Guangzhou's Baiyun Airport. The stagnant floodwaters have also led to a resurgence of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease, with Guangdong reporting over 7,000 cases prior to the recent floods. These extreme weather events, attributed to climate change and a stalled East Asian monsoon, have displaced thousands and caused significant economic damage, prompting the Chinese government to allocate more than 1 billion yuan in disaster relief. The flooding is expected to raise food prices and impact agricultural production, adding to economic concerns in the affected regions. Rescue efforts continue amid warnings of further heavy rains and health risks.