Watch | Heavy rainstorms devastate southern China, force mass evacuations

Heavy rainstorms sweeping through the densely populated Pearl River Delta have submerged significant parts of Southern China’s Guangdong province, resulting in the loss of at least four lives and sparking apprehension over the region’s capacity to withstand extreme weather events.

Evacuation efforts have been underway, with approximately 110,000 people displaced across Guangdong province and over 25,800 seeking refuge in emergency shelters, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, has witnessed historic precipitation levels, with April marking the wettest month since record-keeping commenced in 1959. The severity of the situation prompted the issuance of the country’s highest-level red rainstorm warning for parts of Guangdong, including the megacity of Shenzhen, where heavy to very heavy downpours persisted, elevating the risk of flash floods.

As captured on state broadcaster CCTV, rescuers navigated through inundated shopping streets and residential areas in rubber boats, highlighting the desperate efforts to evacuate residents amidst the deluge.

Meanwhile, neighboring Jiangxi province faced its own deluge, with local media reporting the evacuation of 459 individuals. The relentless rains and floods have taken a toll on agricultural lands, affecting 1,500 hectares of crops and resulting in financial losses exceeding 41 million yuan ($5.7 million).

Guangdong, known as the “factory floor of the world,” is no stranger to summer floods. However, its defenses were severely tested in June 2022 during the heaviest downpours witnessed in six decades, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

A view of the floodwaters following heavy rainfall in Jiangwan, Guangdong. (Reuters Photo)

Since Thursday, Guangdong has endured an onslaught of unusually heavy and sustained rainfall, marking an earlier-than-normal start to the province’s annual flooding season. Over the weekend, waterways overflowed, inundating villages and causing flood waters to reach the second storey of houses, devastating paddy and potato fields in some areas.

Weather events in China have become more intense and unpredictable because of global warming, scientists say, with record-breaking rainfall and drought assailing the world’s second-largest economy, often at the same time.

In Qingyuan residents counted their losses, with one farmer telling Reuters that their rice fields had been “fully flooded”.

“I won’t be making any money this year, I will be making losses,” Huang Jingrong said, estimating his losses at about 100,000 yuan ($13,800).

“What can we do? We won’t get reimbursed for our losses.”

(With agency inputs)

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