*** 240,000 people evacuated in China rainstorms | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

240,000 people evacuated in China rainstorms

AFP | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Nearly a quarter of a million people were evacuated in eastern China as rainstorms lashed swathes of the country and caused the Yangtze and other rivers to swell, state media reported Wednesday.

China has been enduring extreme weather conditions in recent months, from torrential rainfall to searing heat waves.

The country is the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists say drive climate change and make extreme weather events more frequent and intense.

State news agency Xinhua said the storms had affected 991,000 residents in Anhui province and forced the evacuation of 242,000 people by Tuesday afternoon.

“As of 4 pm Tuesday, rainstorms had wreaked havoc in 36 counties and districts in seven prefecture-level cities in Anhui,” Xinhua reported, citing the provincial emergency-management department.