China gears up for ‘once a century’ floods amid heavy rainfall

Chinese state media reported on Sunday (April 21) that certain regions of southern China are bracing for severe floods, described as occurring approximately once every hundred years, due to heavy rainfall.

The downpours have affected largeareas of Guangdong province since Thursday, causing rivers in the Pearl River Delta, a key manufacturing hub in China, to swell.

Weather advisories have been issued for significant portions of central Guangdong, with the national meteorological agency cautioning about severe storms along the coast until Monday evening.

On Sunday, aerial footage captured by state broadcaster CCTV showed murky floodwaters reaching close to street level in certain towns, submerging low-lying buildings and revealing a towering pagoda amidst the deluge.

According to CCTV, citing the provincial hydrology bureau, three locations within the Bei River basin are expected to witness flooding of a magnitude occurring approximately once every century, attributed to heavy precipitation. These areas are projected to experience floods reaching up to 5.8 metres(19 feet) above the designated warning level starting early Monday morning.

Additionally, several other regions are anticipated to encounter floods of a magnitude typically seen once every 50 years.

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The Pearl River Delta, housing approximately 127 million people in Guangdong alone, stands as one of China's most densely populated regions.

Despite the unfolding situation, there have been no immediate reports of casualties or widespread evacuations.

In response to the crisis, authorities have initiated a level-three emergency response in Guangdong, which is the second lowest level in a four-tier system, as per CCTV reports.

Parts of neighbouring provinces such as Jiangxi and Fujian are also expected to face severe rainstorms on Sunday evening.

While extreme weather events are not uncommon in China, recent years have witnessed the nation grappling with severe floods, prolonged droughts, and record-breaking heat. The increasing frequency and intensity of these events can be attributed to climate change driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, with China being the world's largest emitter.

(With inputs from agencies)