Storms continue to wreak havoc in many parts of China.

In some places, the waves reached a height of 10 meters. At least 24 Chinese nationals died, some are missing, and the lives of the island's residents have been turned upside down.

The China National Meteorological Administration announced on the morning of July 14th that Typhoon Soulik was weakening, but warned of continued heavy rain and strong winds in some areas of China. Along with dealing with one of the strongest typhoons to hit China this year, many people in southwestern China are also actively engaged in rescue and relief efforts following days of heavy rain and flooding that have left more than 200 people dead or missing.

According to China's National Meteorological Center, as of 4:00 AM on July 14th, Typhoon Soulik had moved to Jiangxi Province after making landfall in Fujian Province on the afternoon of July 13th.

Heavy rain is expected to gradually subside in Fujian and Zhejiang on July 14th. The China National Environmental Forecasting Center also lowered the storm surge warning level for Fujian and Zhejiang from the highest level to a yellow alert on the evening of July 13th. However, some areas in Zhejiang province still recorded large waves reaching up to 10 meters on July 13th.

Scene of the storm making landfall in mainland China (photo: Reuters)

A local resident said, "At first I thought the waves wouldn't be that high, but then wave after wave came."

Meteorological experts warn that heavy rain will continue in most areas of Jiangxi province on July 14.

Earlier, Typhoon Soulik struck Taiwan, killing two people, leaving one missing, and injuring 104 others. The storm also severely impacted transportation on the island. Approximately 200 flights were delayed, and 154 were canceled. Many railway lines were blocked by fallen trees and landslides. The bad weather also caused power outages for about 1 million homes. All schools were closed.

Meanwhile, rescue and relief efforts continue in southwestern China, particularly in Sichuan province, due to heavy rainfall over the past few days. Traffic is disrupted in many areas due to damaged roads. Numerous highways have been destroyed, affecting the lives of tens of thousands of people. Local authorities are urgently preparing machinery and rescue personnel to carry out rescue and relief operations.

A CCTV reporter in Sichuan province said: “At some tourist spots, more than 1,000 tourists have been evacuated. The government is deploying helicopters to survey the situation and deliver relief supplies.”

Drinking water, food, clothing, and tents are being rapidly transported to the affected area. Rescue teams are also having to walk to areas where 400 people are trapped. Food and relief supplies arrived on the evening of July 13th. Road repair work will begin today.

In a statement released on July 14, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs announced that heavy rains have killed at least 24 people, left four missing, and affected the lives of more than 620,000 people in Shaanxi province.

Economic damage caused by the storms is estimated at 1.63 billion yuan. In Shanxi province, as of 8 PM on July 13th, torrential rains had killed at least four people, affected the lives of approximately 840,000, and forced 28,000 to evacuate.

According to VOV - DT