China placed part of the south of the country on red alert on Tuesday April 23 due to deadly torrential rains in Guangdong, the most populous province and manufacturing heart of the Asian giant. This alert, which corresponds to the highest level, has been in effect since 11 a.m. (5 a.m. Paris time) in Shenzhen, reported the meteorological services of this city of 17.7 million inhabitants, bordering Hong Kong.
Authorities have warned of a “very high” risk of flooding during an episode of very heavy rain which is expected to last “two or three hours”, the weather services said.
Since Thursday, torrential rains have hit Guangdong province. The bad weather left at least four dead and led to tens of thousands of evacuations, according to a report revised upwards on Monday. Rainfall in recent days has caused rivers to swell to such a level that there are fears of “floods of the century”, authorities warned on Sunday.
More than 100,000 people relocated
In recent days, more than 100,000 people from Guangdong have had to be relocated, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Part of it was evacuated from Qingyuan, a town located about sixty kilometers from Guangzhou and crossed by the Bei River, a tributary of the Pearl River Delta.
Elsewhere, 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.
Already in September, Shenzhen was hit by torrential rains, the heaviest ever recorded since weather records began in 1952, according to state media.
Heavy rainfall in southern China is not unusual in summer, but considered early in spring. The country has faced extreme weather conditions in recent months, exacerbated by climate change, according to scientists.