Major Flooding in Southern China Raises Weather Concerns

Heavy rains have recently flooded southern China's Pearl River Delta, a region known as the "factory floor of the world." This area often experiences flooding during the summer, but this year the situation is worse. In June 2022, Guangdong faced its heaviest rainfall in sixty years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

Since last Thursday, Guangdong has been hit with continuous heavy rain, causing floods to start earlier than usual. In the city of Qingyuan, with a population of 4 million, residents are counting their losses. One local farmer, 61-year-old Huang Jingrong, said his rice fields are completely underwater, leading to significant financial losses. He and other villagers are currently sheltering under a bridge with their belongings.

The situation escalated over the weekend as local rivers overflowed, with floodwaters reaching the second floors of buildings and destroying crops. Rescue teams are actively helping people in need, including an elderly woman who was trapped in waist-deep water in her apartment.

Lin Xiuzheng, a resident working in online retail, noted that the rainfall and flooding are much worse than in previous years. Scientists attribute this increase in severe weather to global warming, which causes extreme rain and drought to strike simultaneously, heavily impacting China's economy. This April, record-breaking rainfall was reported in several cities including Shaoguan, Zhaoqing, and Jiangmen.

The flooding has already resulted in four deaths and ten people missing. Additionally, 36 houses have collapsed, and 48 have sustained severe damage, leading to economic losses of about 140.6 million yuan. Despite these challenges, local businesses such as Camelot PCB and Polyrocks Chemical, suppliers to major tech companies, report that their operations remain unaffected.

Weather experts warn that the region's rivers are still dangerously full, with rainfall two to three times heavier than normal for this time of year, suggesting that the threat is far from over.

Reference

1. https://www.reuters.com/