China's July economic losses from disasters almost RM26 bil; exceed January-June numbers

Local resident Xie Xin (left) takes a break from clearing his home of mud after flood devastated Nanxinfang village on the outskirts of Beijing, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. Heavy rain and high water levels on rivers in northeastern China were threatening cities downstream on Friday, prompting the evacuation of thousands, although the country appears to have averted the worst effects of the typhoon season battering parts of east Asia. - AP

BEIJING, Aug 5 (Reuters): China's direct economic losses from natural disasters surged to 41.18 billion yuan ($5.74 billion - RM26 billion) in July, more than in January to June combined, driven by severe weather as two powerful typhoons hit the country in one month.

The impact of floods, while common in China in summer, have grown more pronounced this year, affecting over 7 million people nationwide in July, when Beijing was struck by the worst rains in 140 years after the capital's hottest June on record.