Since Thursday, torrential rains have hit the province of Guangdong, the richest and most populous in the country with its capital Canton and emblematic of Chinese manufacturing power.
This heavy rainfall has caused rivers to swell to such a level that there are fears of “floods of the century”, according to local authorities. “A total of three deaths and 11 people are missing after heavy rains in recent days hit many parts of Guangdong,” the Xinhua news agency said, citing the body overseeing emergency situations. .
Already, more than 53,000 people in the province have had to be relocated, Xinhua added. The vast majority were evacuated from Qingyuan, a town located about sixty kilometers from Guangzhou and crossed by the Bei River, a tributary of the Pearl River Delta.
A situation that should last. Heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds according to Chinese meteorological services, is expected this Monday in the metropolis of Shenzhen, bordering Hong Kong and headquarters of many technology companies.
Bad weather in recent days has caused landslides in mountainous areas. Six people were injured and several others trapped near the city of Jiangwan in northern Guangdong, according to state television CCTV. Images broadcast by the channel show homes on the banks of a river destroyed by a torrent of mud, and people being treated by emergency services on a waterlogged sports field.
Heavy rainfall in southern China is not unusual especially in summer. But the country has faced extreme weather conditions in recent months, exacerbated by climate change according to scientists.