Heavy Rain in Guangdong Province, the "Manufacturing Base of China"... "Largest Flood in 100 Years"

In Guangdong Province, China's largest manufacturing hub, heavy rains have caused massive flooding, prompting authorities to launch emergency response measures. Some power facilities have been damaged, and train services and school classes have been suspended in certain areas.

According to local media including China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 21st, the northern and western regions of Guangdong Province in southern China recorded the highest rainfall for April due to continuous heavy rains since the 19th. Significant damage was reported in the provincial capital Guangzhou, as well as Qingyuan, Shaoguan, and Huizhou, with flood and heavy rain warnings issued for three consecutive days in the affected areas.

[Image source= Xinhua News Agency]

According to the China National Meteorological Center, most of the affected areas received 200 to 350mm of rain since the beginning of this month, and as of 8 a.m. on the day, Shaoguan recorded 584.4mm of rainfall this month, far exceeding last April's 417mm. Over the weekend, orange warnings were issued in Guangzhou, Dongguan, Yangchun, and Qingyuan. China’s meteorological warning system has four levels, with red, orange, yellow, and blue warnings issued in order of severity.

The Ministry of Emergency Management of China upgraded the flood emergency response alert for Guangdong Province from level 4 to level 3. Continuous heavy rains have raised concerns about rising water levels in rivers including the Beijiang River and the Zhujiang River. Local media reported that "the Beijiang River basin is expected to experience a once-in-a-century flood."

China Railway announced the suspension of some train services on routes including Beijing-Guangzhou, with delays or adjustments to schedules expected. Classes at primary and secondary schools and kindergartens in some areas of Qingyuan have been suspended, and the Ministry of Transport halted navigation services due to the heavy rains. Emergency hotlines for disaster and risk reporting have been established 24/7 in various regions to enable prompt response. Due to the heavy rain and strong winds, about 96,000 households in areas including Shaoguan experienced power outages, with authorities reporting that more than half have been restored.

However, it is not yet known whether large-scale production and manufacturing facilities have been damaged or the extent of such damage.