It’s like someone poked a hole in the sky, the rain just keeps pouring down, you can’t breathe,” said Mrs Wu from Donghu, a district in Wuhan a city in central China with over 10 million residents. Mrs Wu lives in Chunshuli, an affluent neighborhood that’s relatively high above sea level. But even so, she doesn’t feel safe.

Since the beginning of July relentless downpours have overwhelmed Wuhan, paralyzing its transport system and plunging vast areas of the city into chaos.