At least 12 dead and 100,000 evacuated amid severe flooding in China

The big picture: Over a dozen cities were affected by flooding, though it was particularly bad in Zhengzhou where at least 12 people are dead.

• The city's subway system was inundated, trapping passengers in waist-high floodwaters. Several cars were washed down streets.
• In Dengfeng, an aluminum alloy plant exploded after floodwater entered a tank containing a high-temperature solution. No one was reported injured or missing from the accident, according to Reuters.
• The Chinese military said a dam in Luoyang has developed a breach and was on the verge of collapsing, the BBC reported. The rain was forecast to stop by Thursday, per Reuters.

By the numbers: From Saturday to Tuesday, 3,535 weather stations in Henan recorded rainfall exceeding 2 inches, Reuters noted.

• 1,614 of the stations reported levels above 4 inches (100 mm) and 151 were above 10 inches during the same period.

Thought bubble, via Axios' Andrew Freedman: Studies show that as the planet warms due to human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels for energy, heavy precipitation events are becoming more likely and more severe.

• The rains and flooding come barely a week after floods devastated parts of Europe killing more than 180, with the biggest toll in Germany.
• This has played out worldwide in recent years and showcased the inadequacy of current infrastructure to withstand a more volatile climate.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.