Torrential rains sweeping across northern China have claimed at least four lives and left eight others missing, with thousands forced to flee their homes as the country grapples with some of the worst flooding in recent years.

On Monday, Chinese state media reported that the deluge triggered a deadly landslide in a village near Chengde City in Hebei province, which surrounds the capital, Beijing.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, with emergency teams deployed to assess the damage and search for the missing.

Authorities in Beijing have issued the second-highest alert for rainstorms and the highest for flood risk, warning that the severe weather could persist into Tuesday.

The unrelenting rainfall has already caused significant disruption, particularly in the capital and its surrounding regions.

Over the weekend, more than 4,600 residents in Fuping County, Hebei, were evacuated as water levels surged.

In neighboring Shanxi province, a bus accident amid the floods left one person rescued and 13 still unaccounted for.

Footage broadcast on state television showed highways and farmland completely submerged under muddy waters.

In suburban Miyun district, northeast of Beijing, over 4,000 residents were also evacuated. The local reservoir recorded its largest water inflow since it was constructed more than 60 years ago.

Journalists in nearby Mujiayu town witnessed dramatic scenes as torrents of water gushed from the reservoir, sweeping away power lines and flooding streets.

Military trucks and ambulances navigated the waterlogged terrain, while burst riverbanks uprooted trees and submerged crops.

Roads in the mountainous terrain were heavily damaged, with slabs of concrete dislodged and guardrails twisted by the force of the floods. Though most houses remained standing, many were surrounded by churning waters.

In response to the growing crisis, China’s National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 50 million yuan (approximately $7 million) to support emergency recovery and infrastructure rebuilding in Hebei, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

China has faced a string of natural disasters this summer.

Earlier this month, flash floods in Shandong province killed two people and left 10 missing, while a deadly landslide in Sichuan province claimed five lives after vehicles were swept down a mountain.

Extreme weather events have become increasingly common across China during the summer months, with some areas facing relentless rainfall while others endure scorching heat.

Scientists have linked the growing intensity and frequency of such disasters to climate change.

While China remains the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases, it is also a global leader in renewable energy and has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.