Weather alerts were issued in Guangdong province and the national meteorological bureau warned of significant storms in coastal areas on Sunday evening and Monday.
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More bad weather to come. Severe flooding that will not happen “only once a century” are expected to hit certain regions of southern China, state media announced on Sunday April 21. Torrential rains are already hitting swaths of Guangdong province, swelling rivers in the Pearl River Delta, China’s manufacturing heartland.
Weather alerts were issued in this province and the national meteorological office warned of significant storms in coastal areas on Sunday evening and Monday. Aerial footage broadcast by public broadcaster CCTV on Sunday showed flooded buildings and a pagoda emerging from the murky waters.
Phenomena due to global warming
Citing the provincial hydrology office, CCTV said three localities in the Bei River basin “would experience floods like we see about once a century” because of “the impact of heavy precipitation”.
🌧️⚠️The worst #floods for 50 years #Guangdong #China @arnauldmiguet pic.twitter.com/aNiQkIPODl
— FranceTVChine (@FranceTVChine) April 21, 2024
The Pearl River Delta is one of the most densely populated regions in China, with Guangdong alone home to some 127 million people. Parts of neighboring Jiangxi and Fujian provinces are also expected to experience severe rainstorms on Sunday evening.
China is no stranger to extreme weather events, but in recent years the country has been hit by severe floods, severe droughts and record heat. Climate change caused by human-emitted greenhouse gases is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense, and China is the world’s largest emitter of these gases.
