China floods
As heavy rain persists in Guangdong province, China has undertaken the evacuation of over 100,000 individuals.
The escalation to the highest alarm level on Tuesday reflects the relentless nature of the storms, which have already claimed four lives and left ten individuals unaccounted for.
This occurrence adds to the series of extreme weather events impacting China, attributed to the effects of climate change.
Intense rainfall in Guangdong has led to the swelling of rivers, prompting state media to caution about the potential for floods reaching a level described as occurring approximately once a century.
In the provincial capital of Guangzhou, authorities have recorded a cumulative rainfall of 609mm for April, marking the highest monthly volume since record-keeping began in 1959. The persistent downpour has been affecting the Pearl River Delta region, a vital manufacturing hub and one of China’s most densely populated areas, for nearly a week.
With a population of approximately 127 million people, the region typically encounters heavy rains around September. However, in recent years, it has been facing increasingly intense and frequent rainstorms and floods.
Authorities in Shenzhen, China’s third-largest coastal city, issued a red alert urging residents to promptly take precautions and avoid hazardous areas prone to flooding.
They emphasized the importance of staying vigilant against heavy rains and associated disasters such as waterlogging, flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and ground collapses.