China floods kill 22, leave 20 missing as record rains hit central provinces

Heavy rains across central and southern China have caused record‑breaking rainfall, with some areas receiving up to 339 mm in 24 hours and 240 mm in just a few hours. The deluge has resulted in at least 22 deaths and 20 people still missing. The worst impacts were reported in Hunan province (five dead, 11 missing), Guizhou (four dead, five missing), Hubei (three dead, four missing) and Guangxi, where a truck accident on a swollen river killed 10 people.

Nearly 24,000 residents were evacuated from the hardest‑hit areas, and authorities allocated 120 million yuan in disaster‑relief funds for the five affected regions, plus an additional 30 million yuan for Guizhou. Schools and workplaces were suspended, communications were disrupted, and infrastructure damage was reported. The floods underscore growing concerns about extreme weather as global temperatures rise.