Typhoon Saudel brought days of torrential rain to Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong provinces in south-east China last week. The city of Putian, in Fujian province, recorded ۴۱۶.۵mm of rain in a ۲۴-hour period between Thursday and Friday, with surrounding villages recording more than ۵۰۰mm in the same period. In Fujian, authorities estimate that almost ۶۰۰,۰۰۰ people were evacuated from high-risk, flood-prone areas. A further ۱۲۸,۰۰۰ people in ۵۳ counties were also affected across Jiangxi, with emergency evacuations affecting ۹,۰۰۰ people.
Flooding, landslips and infrastructure damage were reported widely in the region. More than ۲,۵۰۰ teachers and students were trapped in a school compound in the Zhejiang city of Wenzhou on Wednesday after extreme rainfall caused flash floods in low-lying areas. At least ۱,۲۶۰ people reportedly had to be rescued in Putian after a river embankment collapsed on Thursday, flattening ۱۰۰ homes. On Saturday, a landslip in a village of Suichuan county, in Jiangxi province, killed three people and nine others remaining missing.
This is the seventh typhoon to affect China this year, and Saudel arrived shortly after Typhoon Narra dumped heavy rain on Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi late last month.
The South African Weather Service implemented several thunderstorm warnings late last week, covering a large swathe of the northern and western provinces. Disruptive rainfall, damaging winds, excessive lightning and hail were all reported, with rainfall totals expected to have reached at least ۷۵-۱۰۰mm for parts of the Northern Cape and North West provinces over the weekend. In Johannesburg, eight families were evacuated from an apartment building after strong winds tore off a significant part of its roof.
Oppressive heat in the US affected states across the central-southern plains and the Mississippi valley this weekend, with maximum temperatures easily reaching the high ۳۰s celsius (high ۹۰s fahrenheit). However, with high humidities, the heat indices in this region have been closer to ۴۰-۴۳C (۱۰۵–۱۱۰F). The unrelenting temperatures will continue across the midwest and southern US this week, with maximum temperatures continuing to reach the high ۳۰s.
