‘We have lost everything’: extreme rainfall across Asia brings flash floods and typhoons

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · Jul 28, 2026 · 1063 words · By Jonathan Watts; Natasha May

Extreme Weather Events Humanitarian Crisis climate_change

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“It rained for 10 days and 10 nights, non-stop – I’d never seen anything like it,” says Anar Gul, a construction worker who lives in the remote district of Dur Baba in eastern Afghanistan.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left14%

Center86%

Right0%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

“It rained for 10 days and 10 nights, non-stop – I’d never seen anything like it,” says Anar Gul, a construction worker who lives in the remote district of Dur Baba in eastern Afghanistan.

Why it matters

The houses in his village are built from stone and mud, which makes them extremely vulnerable to heavy rains.

Common ground

After days of rain, Gul’s kitchen collapsed and his neighbour, Sayed Afsar Sadat, saw a large part of his house completely destroyed.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Pity: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Extreme Weather Events story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In June, repeated downpours caused more than NT$330m (about US$10.2m) in agricultural losses across Taiwan, according to the agriculture ministry?
How does this story connect Extreme Weather Events with Humanitarian Crisis over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/28/extreme-rainfall-asia-flash-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 70% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3

verified Verified By Reference 3

schedule Pending 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

help

Claim 1: “In June, repeated downpours caused more than NT$330m (about US$10.2m) in agricultural losses across Taiwan, according to the agriculture ministry”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding agricultural losses in Taiwan for June.

info

Claim 2: “In early July, Typhoon Maysak inundated parts of Guangxi and swept through commercial snake farms, allowing hundreds of snakes to escape.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of general information about typhoons; there is no specific mention of 'Typhoon Maysak' inundating Guangxi or snakes escaping from farms.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Within most of the northwestern Pacific, there are no official typhoon seasons as tropical cyclones form throughout the year. Like any tropical cyclone, there are several main requirements for typhoon…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Track active typhoons, view live alert maps, and get real-time warnings — the authoritative public-safety resource for the Asia-Pacific region.
https://typhoonmap.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sep 7, 2025 · Tropical cyclones are lows that derive their energy from thunderstorms at the centre of the system. These storms thrive on warm ocean waters and benefit from moist air and calm wind shea…
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/science/explainers…

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Claim 3: “China, meanwhile, has seen bouts of extreme rainfall since the flood season began in April, according to the water resources ministry in mid-July”

CORROBORATED

The Guardian and other web search results explicitly state that China's water resources ministry reported extreme rainfall since the flood season began in April (or mid-May/July depending on the specific report), confirming the general claim of ministry reports on extreme rainfall.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — China, meanwhile, has seen bouts of extreme rainfall since the flood season began in April, according to the water resources ministry in mid-July, marking the start of a month-long peak flood control …
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/28/extreme-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Extreme rainfall in China causes $2.24B road damage, highlighting urgent climate adaptation needs.Flood season officially began on July 1, according to China's water resources ministry, and brought re…
https://www.outlookbusiness.com/news/china-road-damage-extre…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Southern China has been hit by the heaviest rainfall since the start of the flood season in mid-May, with 121 national meteorological monitoring stations breaking monthly precipitation records, accord…
https://www.chinadailyasia.com/hk/article/633844

verified

Claim 4: “the city of Chattogram, on the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh, which received a record 412.3mm of rainfall in 24 hours in early July”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the evidence confirms the location and name of Chattogram, Bangladesh, none of the provided search results mention the specific rainfall record of 412.3mm in early July.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 2025–26 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2026) was the 12th season of the Bangladesh Premier League, a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Bangladesh that is organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Boa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_Bangladesh_Premier_Lea…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Chattogram Metropolitan Police (Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম মেট্রোপলিটন পুলিশ, romanized: Choṭṭogrām mēṭrōpaliṭana puliśa; abbreviated as CMP) is the primary metropolitan unit of the Bangladesh Police resp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chattogram_Metropolitan_Police

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The July Uprising, also known as the July Mass Uprising, Student-People's Uprising, July Revolution, Gen Z Revolution, or Monsoon Revolution was a mass uprising in Bangladesh in 2024. Starting in earl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_Uprising

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 5: “the capital Taipei recorded its highest monthly rainfall in more than a century.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “The most recent report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said rising temperatures raise the threat of “floods in monsoon regions in south, south-east and east Asia, and glacier melting in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region”.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 7: “four to six typhoons are forecast to make landfall in or affect the country this summer, above the average of 4.2, according to the China Meteorological Administration.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results to support or refute the China Meteorological Administration's forecast.

verified

Claim 8: “In the south-western city of Chongqing, a huge landslide after torrential rain killed at least 11 people and left 50 missing”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence confirms Chongqing is a city in SW China, but there is no specific report in the provided evidence regarding a landslide killing 11 and leaving 50 missing.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chongqing is a provincial-level direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. It is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of China and the only one located inland. The municipa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chongqing

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (IATA: CKG, ICAO: ZUCK) is the main international airport serving the city of Chongqing in Southwestern China. It is located in Liangjiang, Chongqing, about 19…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chongqing_Jiangbei_Internation…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chongqing Tonglianglong Football Club (Chinese: 重庆铜梁龙足球俱乐部; pinyin: Chóngqìng Tóngliánglóng Zúqiú Jùlèbù) is a Chinese professional football club based in Chongqing, that competes in the Chinese Super…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chongqing_Tonglianglong_F.C.

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 9: “Typhoon Noul, the strongest to make landfall in China so far this year, prompted the evacuation of more than 890,000 people in Guangdong as of Sunday evening, according to provincial authorities.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of general information about typhoons and tracking centers; there is no specific mention of 'Typhoon Noul' or the evacuation of 890,000 people in Guangdong.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Products on this website are intended for use by U.S. government agencies. This website is the only official public source for JTWC tropical cyclone products.
https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Track active typhoons, view live alert maps, and get real-time warnings — the authoritative public-safety resource for the Asia-Pacific region.
https://typhoonmap.com/

verified

Claim 10: “More than 600 rivers have since risen above warning levels – a 35% jump from the average for the same period over the past five years.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Web results mention 'six rivers' or '37 rivers' rising above warning levels, but none of the provided evidence mentions 'more than 600 rivers' or a '35% jump' from the five-year average.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The AVIC AG600 Kunlong (Chinese: 鲲龙; pinyin: kūnlóng; lit. 'Kun Dragon') is a large seaplane designed by AVIC and assembled by CAIGA. Powered by four Ivchenko AI-20 turboprops, it is one of the larges…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVIC_AG600

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The CFR-600 (Xiapu fast reactor pilot project) is a sodium-cooled pool-type fast-neutron nuclear reactor in Xiapu County, Fujian province, China, on Changbiao Island. It is a generation IV demonstrati…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFR-600

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Xi'an KJ-600 is a Chinese twin-propeller, quad-tail, folding high-wing military aircraft designed for carrier-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) and cargo delivery; the aircraft has …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi'an_KJ-600

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 11: “The year 2025 saw devastating storms and rainfall across the region. It also saw ocean temperatures rise to record heights.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 12: “a flash flood at a scenic camping spot in the north-central province of Gansu left 10 people dead and injured 23 others.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web search results (including Xinhua and Euronews) explicitly confirm that a flash flood in Gansu province killed 10 people and injured 23 others at a scenic area.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gansu is a province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at 453,700 square kilo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gansu

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gansu Wind Farm Project or Jiuquan Wind Power Base is a group of large wind farms under construction in western Gansu province in China. The Gansu Wind Farm Project is located in desert areas nea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gansu_Wind_Farm

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lanzhou, formerly Lanchow, is the capital and largest city of Gansu province in northwestern China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanzhou

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “Last week, torrential rains and flash floods wiped out villages and towns in Afghanistan, leaving at least 31 people dead and hundreds missing.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that torrential rains and flash floods in Afghanistan caused deaths and missing persons, with one specific source matching the 'at least 31 dead' figure and others reporting similar devastation.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A series of flash floods occurred in Afghanistan beginning in June 2020, with the largest and most impactful flood occurring on 26 August 2020. They were caused by torrential rain in Charikar, Parwan …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Afghanistan_flood

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events in the year 2026 in Afghanistan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_Afghanistan

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the deadliest floods worldwide, with a minimum of 60 deaths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deadliest_floods

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.