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China’s southern provinces on alert as flooding breaks records while heat hits further north

  • Authorities in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, urge residents along rivers and in low-lying houses to move to higher ground
  • Regions north of the Yangtze River experience searing heat, pushing up power consumption

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Heavy rain floods streets and buildings in Wuyuan, in China’s central Jiangxi province on Monday. Photo: CNS/AFP
Reuters
After weeks of pounding rain, two provinces in southern China upgraded warnings on Tuesday as floods reached record levels and rivers overflowed their banks, prompting the relocation of people and work disruptions, state media reported.
In Shaoguan, Guangdong province, where average rainfall since late May has breached historical records, authorities raised the flood alert to the highest – Level 1.

01:26

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Local authorities asked residents along river banks and in low-lying houses to move to higher ground, after floodwaters hit a 50-year high, state television reported.

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The city’s flood, drought and wind control headquarters said shutdown measures might be enforced at construction sites, businesses, docks and for public transport, while workers unable to show up at work should not be forced to do so.

The water level of Guangdong’s Bei River also rose past warning levels to top a 1994 record.

In Jiangxi province to the northeast, authorities raised a flood “red alert” after 485,000 people in nine districts were affected, state news agency Xinhua said. It did not elaborate.

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