Severe weather in South Korea has eased following days of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides and left at least 18 people dead.
Nine people are missing, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
In Gapyeong, 62km northeast of the capital Seoul, some residents recalled narrow escapes from the floods after 173mm fell in just 17 hours yesterday.
The city was among a number of places that saw a record amount of rain in a single day and broke the previous high for national daily precipitation of 156.3mm that was set on 30 September 1998.
“The ground just sank beneath me, and the water rose all the way up to my neck. Luckily, there was an iron pipe nearby. I held on to it with all my strength,” said Ahn Gyeong-bun, owner of a restaurant that was almost destroyed.
Two people died and four were missing after a landslide engulfed homes around Gapyeong and floods swept away vehicles, the ministry said.
Across South Korea, rain damage has been reported to around 2,000 public structures and more than 2,200 private facilities, including farms, the interior ministry said.
As the rain has eased, the national weather agency issued a nationwide heatwave watch.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered a thorough response to the disaster, his office said.
“As local heavy rains have become commonplace, customised measures based on regional characteristics are urgently needed,” spokesman Kang Yu-jung added.
“If serious laxity or mistakes are found in civil servants’ discipline, we will hold them accountable and thorough measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence.”
President Lee, who took office in June, has promised to make the country safer and to prevent any repeat of the disasters in recent years that have often been blamed on the inadequate response by authorities.
Storms hit southern China mainland in wake of typhoon
Storms have drenched southern parts of the Chinese mainland, triggering warnings of flash floods and landslides, a day after Typhoon Wipha pounded Hong Kong.
Heavy rain lashed the cities of Yangjiang, Zhanjiang and Maoming in China’s southern province Guangdong after the storm system made landfall yesterday.
It felled trees and scaffolding in Hong Kong, grounded flights and sent nearly 280 people into shelters.
China’s national forecaster said the typhoon had weakened to a tropical storm upon landfall and forecast that it would skirt the coast of Guangdong and move towards Vietnam.
Heavy rain is forecast for mainland China’s coastal regions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Fujian provinces until tomorrow, with warnings of flash floods, landslides and wind hazards.
Floods exceeding warning levels occurred in 20 rivers across the country due to Wipha, state broadcaster CCTV, citing the water resources ministry, said.
But many areas doused in heavy rainfall have recovered from the impact quickly, CCTV added.
Waves crash on the shore at Sanya Bay in China
Authorities had lifted traffic controls enforced at major roads connecting the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai to Hong Kong as well as at ports while train services disrupted by the storm have also resumed.
People were advised to remain vigilant about any secondary disasters, CCTV said.
The system is moving into the Gulf of Tonkin, over which it will gather intensity before hitting Vietnam’s northern coast, the Chinese forecaster said.
Ahead of Wipha’s expected landfall, Vietnam put coastal provinces on emergency footing, warning of potentially dangerous flooding and landslides.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent an urgent message to coastal regions to call boats ashore, move people from flood-prone areas, prepare food supplies and rescue equipment and secure communication infrastructure.
Dozens of flights were also cancelled or rescheduled as airlines in Vietnam braced for the typhoon.
Iran’s capital to shut for day because of heatwave
Government offices, banks and businesses in the Iranian capital will close on Wednesday because of an intense heatwave and the need to conserve energy, according to state-run media.
With temperatures in Tehran exceeding 40C, authorities have advised citizens to stay indoors during peak heat hours.
Borazjan, in southern Bushehr province, was the hottest city in the last 24 hours with a maximum temperature of 50C.
Last July, Iran ordered a one-day national holiday because of high temperatures, following a two-day holiday in 2023.
