Mongolia
Mongolia is a cold, dry country to the north of China.
It’s capital is Ulanbataar.
On 3rd July, unexpectedly heavy rainfall led to flooding. This led to over 20,000 people being affected. The capital city, Ulanbataar, was also impacted.
These floods are still continuing.
Videos posted by news agencies and citizens show water flowing through the streets in what might be a sudden overflow.
Ulanbataar, the capital city, lies along the river Selbe. The dam on this river broke as a result of the flood. This led to even more water entering the city.
Mongolia’s Disaster Response Authority is monitoring the situation. The aid and relief agencies of the United Nations (UN) are also providing relief and help.
According to experts, while the overall annual precipitation in Mongolia remains the same as before – at 50-400 mm, the pattern of precipitation has changed. Earlier, the rainfall would be slow and last a few days. Now, we notice torrential rainfall over a few hours. This has a more damaging effect on standing crops, livestock, houses, and of course, rivers and dams.
China
In China, it was Typhoon Doksuri that led to heavy rainfall and flooding. For more than a week now, the areas around Beijing, Inner Mongolia (the part of China that borders Mongolia), and some other parts have experienced severe flooding.
In the Fangshan district of Beijing, about 5,000 people were evacuated on July 31st.
They were taken to a safe place where they could wait until the floods receded (to recede – to go back. This word is used to indicate the going back of flood waters).
The affected districts are Beijing, Tianjin, Fangshan, and Hebei.
Slovenia
Slovenia is a small country in Southern Europe. You can notice it East of Italy.
Two-thirds of Slovenia is currently battling floods. The Slovenian Prime Minister has said that the country is facing its worst ever natural disaster.
Since Slovenia rarely floods, management of the situation is a learning experience for the administration.
The neighbouring country of Austria is also experiencing flooding and landslides.
Featured image: Representative image of floods.