Authorities in Guangdong have evacuated close to 60,000 individuals from their residences due to extensive flooding caused by days of heavy rainfall in China’s most populous province.
According to state media, three people have died while 11 are reported missing. Footage circulated on state media and online platforms depicts vast areas submerged by the floods, with rescuers who evacuated people using lifeboats through waist-deep water.
The flooding has resulted in several major rivers overflowing, prompting authorities to closely monitor the “dangerously high” water levels.
Initial warnings suggested that a river in northern Guangdong could reach a peak level seen only once in a century by Monday morning, though this prediction had not been realized by noon.
Much of Guangdong, situated within the low-lying Pearl River delta, is susceptible to flooding due to rising sea levels and storm surges.
As one of China’s main manufacturing hubs and densely populated regions, Guangdong is home to approximately 127 million people.
Cities such as Guangzhou, Shaoguan, and Heyuan in the provincial capital have been significantly affected. Over the weekend, around 1.16 million households experienced power outages, with 80% of them having their electricity restored by Sunday night.
Continuous rainfall has led to flight cancellations and delays at Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport, while schools in at least three cities have been ordered to close.
Throughout the province, dozens of homes have collapsed or sustained severe damage, resulting in an estimated direct economic loss of nearly 140.6 million yuan ($19.8 million).
Meteorological authorities have cautioned that heavy rains will persist in Guangdong and coastal areas of neighboring Fujian until at least Tuesday.
Additionally, forecasts predict “moderate to heavy” rainfall in other parts of the country, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.
Last July, Beijing and surrounding provinces, including Hebei, experienced severe flooding following typhoons from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the heaviest rainfall in Beijing in 140 years.
