HONG KONG, May 19 — Torrential rains over the weekend in China’s southern Guangdong and Guangxi provinces have claimed five lives and left several people missing, as authorities raised alarms over potential flooding, landslides, and other geological hazards in the region.
HONG KONG, May 19 — Torrential rains over the weekend in China’s southern Guangdong and Guangxi provinces have claimed five lives and left several people missing, as authorities raised alarms over potential flooding, landslides, and other geological hazards in the region.
According to the official Xinhua news agency, China’s National Meteorological Centre issued multiple warnings for heavy rainfall affecting parts of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, and the northwestern province of Xinjiang from Sunday through Monday.
A yellow alert—indicating a significant risk of mountain flooding—was declared in parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi, Xinhua reported.
China uses a four-tier weather warning system, with red being the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.
Meteorological data indicates that 2024 has been the warmest year in China since comparable records began over 60 years ago—marking the second consecutive year of record-breaking temperatures.
The rise in temperatures has brought more intense storms, heavier rainfall, and increased electricity demand across the world’s second-largest economy.
State broadcaster CCTV added that heavy rain is also forecast from Monday to Tuesday in areas including the far western region of Xinjiang, particularly along the Tianshan Mountains. — Reuters
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