China issues highest-level rainstorm warning, over 100,000 evacuate

Beijing: Southern China faces a severe crisis as torrential rains and flooding have forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people, prompting the government to issue its highest-level rainstorm warning for the region.

Guangdong province has been hit by relentless rains in recent days, causing rivers to swell and sparking fears of flooding that state media described as "once-in-a-century" occurrences.

The megacity of Shenzhen, among other areas, experienced heavy downpours on Tuesday, with the city's meteorological observatory indicating a "very high" risk of flash floods.

While the weather warning was later downgraded due to weakening storms, authorities cautioned residents to stay alert against potential disasters. Images from Qingyuan city in northern Guangdong depicted a building nearly submerged in a flooded park adjacent to a river, reported AFP.

According to state news agency Xinhua, since the onset of the downpours over the weekend, 110,000 residents across Guangdong have been relocated. Qingyuan, which straddles the Bei River tributary, reported the evacuation of over 45,000 people.

The flooding has resulted in the deaths of four individuals, with 10 others reported missing, as per state media. Additionally, in Foshan city, a ship carrying nearly 5,000 tonnes of rolled steel struck a bridge, leading to the disappearance of four crew members, possibly due to the flooding's impact. The vessel sank shortly before midnight on Monday after seven crew members were rescued.

Aerial footage from Guangdong revealed landslides behind a town on a riverbank, with soldiers using excavators to clear the muddy debris left by the rain.

The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are attributed to human-driven climate change, with China being the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Guangdong has not witnessed such early and severe flooding since records began in 1954, according to China National Radio.

Yin Zhijie, chief hydrology forecaster at the Ministry of Water Resources, highlighted the impact of climate change on the region's weather patterns. He stated, "Intensifying climate change" has made heavy rains, typically seen in June or July, more common. "Extreme weather events that overturn our traditional ways of thinking have occurred frequently in recent years," he added.

Guangdong, with a population of around 127 million, is China's manufacturing hub. Authorities in Shenzhen urged residents to take precautions against the heavy rains and potential disasters like waterlogging, flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and ground collapses.

Forecasters predict continued heavy rain in Shenzhen for the next two to three hours. Recent years have seen China grappling with severe floods, droughts, and record-breaking heatwaves. Last September, Shenzhen witnessed its heaviest rains since records began in 1952, while Hong Kong experienced its most significant rainfall in nearly 140 years.

According to the United Nations, Asia faced the highest number of climate and weather-related disasters in 2023, with floods and storms being the primary causes of casualties and economic losses.