A red alert has been issued in Wuhan after an overnight storm led to flooding that paralyzed the city.
From 8pm last night until 8 am this morning, torrential rains led to dangerous water levels at lakes, rivers and reservoirs across the city. The city's downtown area received at least 180 milimeters of rain, while the district of Caidian recorded 206 milimeters.
The flooding has stopped traffic and shut down major tunnels and subway stations, with 169 roads closed to traffic and 113 buses suspended. Many residents of the city — which is home to more than 10 million people — remain trapped in their homes without power.
Over 300 buses were deployed to Caidian to evacuate at least 16,000 residents after as fragile dikes at the Dongjin River led to emergency safety measures.
Service on Metro Lines 2 and 4 were suspended after some stations were flooded.
Even Wuhan's high-speed railway station was affected, with rising water levels surrounding the entrace.
Meanwhile, at least 300 police and 230 volunteers were deployed to lay sandbags as water levels rose at Tangxun Lake.
The flooding has led to power outages and water being shut off for some residential communities in the Hubei capital.
This is shaping up to be a particularly wet summer for China, with flooding hitting multiple provinces and cities. Over the weekend, a stadium in Ezhou, Hubei became a giant swimming pool following three days of heavy rains, while cars in Guangxi last month were swept away after torrential downpours led to citywide floods. Guangzhou was also hit with severe floods in May.
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