Relief efforts carried out amid continued rainfall in Guangdong

The latest round of rainfall in southern China was forecast to peak on Thursday, with South China’s Guangdong Province being the center of the heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, most regions in northern China are expected to see significant warming, with daytime temperatures reaching around 30 C in some places, according to China’s National Meteorological Center.

The meteorological center continued to issue warnings for heavy rainfall and severe convective weather on Thursday.

Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall have occurred in southern China in April, with above normal levels of accumulated precipitation during the same period. The precipitation in South China is more than twice the normal level for the same period recorded in previous years, making it the second-highest level since 1961.

Chinese authorities have strengthened flood relief efforts including dispatching relief supplies, relocating flood-affected residents, and enhancing monitoring, forecasting, and early warning systems in recent days to reduce risks and prevent secondary disasters.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Armed Police Force have assisted in emergency rescue and disaster relief in Guangdong. As of 8 pm on Wednesday, a total of 3,928 residents had been relocated, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at Thursday’s press briefing.

As of press time, all the residents affected in Jiangwan town had been transferred, as the region is expected to experience a new round of heavy rainfall lasting until Friday, according to Guangdong authorities.

Experts also reminded farmers to regularly clean ditches and drains, remove excess water from fields, and avoid conducting spring sowing during the period of heavy rainfall. “The impact of this round of heavy rainfall on rice planting in Guangdong is limited,” Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.