Heavy rains lashed southern China over the weekend, flooding homes, streets and farmland and threatening to destroy the lives of tens of millions of people as rescue teams rushed to free residents trapped by rising waters.
At least 11 people are missing, six of whom are from the city of Jiangwan, near the city of Shaoguan in the mountainous north of the province, where heavy rains triggered landslides that injured six people, state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. fair (22).
Days of storms hit Guangdong province, an economic powerhouse home to 127 million people, triggering widespread flooding that forced more than 82,500 people to be relocated, state media reported, citing the local government.
Since April 16, continuous torrential rains have lashed the Pearl River Delta, China's industrial hub and one of the country's most populous regions, with four weather stations in Guangdong recording record rainfall for the month.
The Pearl River basin is subject to annual flooding from April to September, but the region has faced more intense storms and severe flooding in recent years as scientists warn the climate crisis will amplify extreme weather, making it deadlier and more frequent.
Last year, China faced “more intense and extreme” rainfall during the flood season than in previous years, with 72 national meteorological stations recording record daily rainfall and 346 stations breaking monthly records, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Since last week, at least 44 rivers in the Pearl River basin have swelled above the warning line, threatening to overflow, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
On the Bei River, which flows into the Pearl River, authorities warned of a “once-in-a-century” flood, which is expected to reach 5.8 meters above the alert limit.
The tributary had already overflowed its banks on April 8, marking the first arrival of the annual flood season since records began in 1998, according to Guangdong authorities.
Aerial footage broadcast on CCTV over the weekend showed villages flooded by murky waters, with only roofs and treetops visible in some places.
In Guangning County, Zhaoqing City, footage shared by residents on the short video app Douyin shows muddy, brown water gushing through the village streets and sweeping away cars.
In Shaoguan, a man was seen pushing his scooter through shoulder-deep floodwaters. And in the city of Qingyuan, social media images show strong gales and rain knocking down trees and overturning motorcycles.
Authorities raised the emergency flood control response in the Pearl River Delta to level 2 on Sunday – the second highest in a four-level system.
Many cities suspended schools and hundreds of flights were canceled in the metropolises of Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
More than 80 houses collapsed or were seriously damaged, resulting in a direct economic loss of nearly 140 million yuan ($20 million), Xinhua reported.
Source: CNN Brasil
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