disasters

After Record-Breaking Heat, Chongqing Slammed by Heavy Rain

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

A cold front triggered an 18-degree temperature plunge, bringing torrential rain and winds, but calmer weather is expected for the remainder of the National Day holiday.

He Qitong

China’s Most Devastating Summer Yet, By the Numbers

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

The nation was hit by record-breaking typhoons, floods, and heatwaves in recent months, causing widespread damage and pushing its resilience to the limit.

Luo Yahan

Typhoon Bebinca Slams Shanghai, Strongest Storm Since 1949

The powerful storm brought heavy rain, power outages, and travel chaos, disrupting Mid-Autumn Festival plans across the city.

Fan Yiying

Another Horrific Flood Kills 19 in Central China

Typhoon Gaemi has triggered historic deluges in the central Hunan province, leading to deadly floods and landslides.

Race Against Time: Plugging the Dam at Dongting Lake

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Residents of a village recently devastated by flooding tell of the rush to protect their loved ones after battling in vain to prevent the dam from breaking.

Shanghai Observer

As Devastating Floods Continue, Chinese County Issues Plea for Aid

Hunan’s Pingjiang County has been hit by the worst flooding in decades, leaving local residents short of food and drinking water.

Ding Rui

As China’s Summer of Extremes Continues, Floods Engulf South

The famous tourist city of Guilin has been hit with the worst flooding in decades, as freak weather disrupts the lives of millions across southern China.

Li Xin

Ding Xiaoyan

They Hitched a Ride Home From Work. Then, a Night of Horror Unfolded.

On Saturday night, eight women climbed into the back of a truck to drive home from their factory job in central China’s Henan province. None of them survived the journey.

In Shanghai, a Café Blends Life, Death — and Coffee

At the Ferryman café, operated by a Shanghai funeral service company, patrons share personal stories about mortality over coffee. The café seeks to break down societal taboos and encourage open dialogue about life and death.

Li Dongxu

Guangdong Highway Disaster: Authorities Probe Cause, Toll Now 48

The Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in southern China collapsed on the first day of this year’s five-day Labor Day holiday. The mishap has been attributed to recent heavy rainfall and complex geological conditions.

Powerful Tornado Kills 5 as Extreme Weather Batters Guangdong

The EF2 level tornado, with wind speeds strong enough to rip out entire roofs, extended for about 1 kilometer, with videos showing debris from factory buildings being swept into the air.

Towns Cut Off as ‘Once-in-a-Century’ Floods Engulf South China

Freak rain storms have wreaked havoc across the southern Guangdong province, disrupting power supplies and making rescue efforts challenging.

Ye Zhanhang

Nanchang: Four Killed, 10 Injured as Freak Storm Ravages City

The storm’s winds were powerful enough to blow residents out of their apartment windows. Local police are investigating whether the quality of housing played a role in the tragedy.

Yang Caini

The Firefighter Documenting Sichuan’s Plateau Forest Fires

Firefighter Cheng Xueli was recruited to contain Sichuan’s recent forest fires in Yajiang County, documenting his colleagues as they worked at over 4,000 meters above sea level.

Wu Huiyuan 

Ding Yining

4 Dead as Wildfires Sweep Across Yunnan and Sichuan

Authorities have attributed the heightened fire risk to dry weather, low rainfall, and human activities.

15 Dead in Nanjing Apartment Fire, Electric Bikes Under Scanner

Municipal authorities have announced a thorough investigation into safety hazards in high-rise buildings, commercial spaces, and other densely populated areas.

Amid Severe Drought, 2 Dead in Over 200 Wildfires in Guizhou

Coupled with human activities, extreme weather events have increased the vulnerability of Guizhou to wildfires. In the last two weeks alone, the province has reported 221 forest fire incidents.

Yunnan Landslide: 25 Dead as Rescue Enters Second Day

An investigation is underway into the cause of the landslide, which occurred in a rural area of Yunnan province where coal mining is common.

Huang Yang

Gansu Earthquake: With Many Displaced, Efforts Shift to Helping Survivors

Braving frigid temperatures, remote terrain, and the possibility of aftershocks, rescuers have pulled dozens of survivors to safety from affected regions in China’s northwestern Gansu and Qinghai provinces.

Zhu Junxi

Amid Rescue Efforts in Quake-Hit Gansu, a Race Against Time and Cold

With temperatures in northwest China’s earthquake-affected region dropping to between minus 15 and minus 9 degrees Celsius, weather is one of the challenges for ongoing rescue efforts and survivors.