'Massive extremes': Hastings' sister city in China hit by floods, heatwaves

People sit in a shallow pool of water in the dried up riverbed of the Jialing River, a tributary of the Yangtze, to try to keep cool during China's record heatwave. Photo / AP

Hastings' sister city Guilin in China has been hit by a series of extreme weather events including flooding and heatwaves.

It comes as the city of Chongqing in China has been struggling through unprecedented temperatures of up to 45C which has resulted in a drought and parts of the Jialing River drying up through the city.

Many other parts of the country have also been sweltering through heatwaves including Guilin which is about 900km south of Chongqing.

Guilin is located toward the south of China and has been experiencing temperatures around 40C. Fortunately, it has not resulted in droughts.

Hastings District Council's longest serving councillor Kevin Watkins, who has travelled to Guilin many times, has been in contact with friends in the city.

"There are massive extremes happening," he said.

"Every year they do get one or two days where they get a lot of rainfall and it floods, even up to car window height [in the city].

A delegation from Guilin performing at the Hawke's Bay Opera House in 2011. Photo / NZME

"In June they had extreme rainfall - probably the most rainfall they have had in more than five years - and that flooding became very expensive for a large part of the city."

He said rain had now been replaced by very dry conditions, and higher than usual temperatures.

"We are having a long and hot summer. But so far there is no drought," Watkins' friend from Guilin said, in a message.

Hastings also has two friendship cities in China which are not official sister cities.

Both of those cities Mianyang and Dezhou are also sweltering through unusually high temperatures.

Guilin is surrounded by four lakes and two rivers. It is considered a tourist city largely due to its stunning scenery and beautiful pagodas.

Hastings and Guilin have been sister cities for 40 years.

Watkins said if people wanted to pass on messages to the Guilin foreign office (similar to a district council) he could do so, and asked that messages be sent to Hastings District Council's Facebook page.