China's Guangdong province faces "once a century" floods after heavy rain

In Guangdong province, southern China, landslides resulting from heavy rainfall injured at least six people and trapped others, with the region preparing for floods that occur approximately once in a century.

Since Thursday, torrential downpours have affected extensive areas of Guangdong province, leading to increased water levels in the Pearl River Delta and causing flooding in hilly regions.

State broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday that these rains triggered landslides in six villages in Jiangwan, northern Guangdong, leaving people trapped.

Images shared by CCTV displayed homes near the water destroyed by a thick layer of mud. Additionally, people were seen taking refuge from the rain under shelters in a waterlogged public sports area.

While no fatalities were reported immediately, six injured individuals trapped by the landslides were airlifted to Shaoguan, a nearby city. Rescue teams are striving to reinstate communication lines in the affected areas promptly.

More than 80 rescuers are working tirelessly, both day and night, to aid those affected by the disaster.

The Pearl River Delta, China's industrial hub and one of its most densely populated areas, houses around 127 million people in Guangdong alone.

Aerial footage showed floodwaters nearing street levels in some towns, submerging riverside walkways and pavilions, with only a pagoda visible amidst the flood.

A level-two emergency response has been initiated for the Pearl River Delta, the second-highest level in the four-tier emergency system.

The national meteorological department has issued weather warnings for central Guangdong, forecasting heavy storms along coastal regions until Monday.

The provincial hydrology bureau predicts that three monitored locations in the Bei River basin will face floods that occur roughly once a century due to heavy rains. Floodwaters could reach up to 5.8 meters (19 feet) above the warning level by early Monday.

Other tributaries in the basin are expected to experience floods seen once every 50 years.

There are no reports of mass evacuations as of now.

Additionally, severe rainstorms are predicted for Sunday evening in parts of the neighbouring Jiangxi and Fujian provinces.

While China frequently encounters extreme weather conditions, the country has recently experienced severe floods, prolonged droughts, and record-breaking heatwaves.

The increasing frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events are attributed to climate change driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, with China being the world's largest emitter.