Extreme rainstorms flood China’s Guangdong and Fujian

Extremely heavy rains have been battering southern China for the past week as the country entered its main flood season, resulting in deadly floods and landslides that have severely impacted the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. As of June 18, 2024, 5 people have been confirmed dead in Guangdong, and 17 are missing. In Fujian, at least 4 people have died and 2 remain missing.

Guangdong province, a significant economic hub, has been particularly hard-hit. In Meizhou, five people were killed, 15 remain missing, and 13 are trapped due to landslides.

The continuous downpour has caused severe disruptions, leaving over 130 000 households without power as of Monday morning, June 17, and forcing the suspension of classes.

Sishui town recorded a staggering 369.3 mm (14.5 inches) of rain in just 24 hours on June 17, prompting officials to raise emergency response levels to the highest level.

Evacuations were conducted using helicopters, and authorities are still attempting to reach some towns and villages isolated by the floods.

Four people have died in landslides, and two remain missing in neighboring Fujian.

Shanghang County recorded a record-breaking 375 mm (15 inches) of rainfall within 24 hours, representing 18% of the area’s average annual rainfall.

From June 9 to 15, northern Fujian experienced continuous heavy rains, with cumulative rainfall reaching between 500 mm (19.6 inches) and 810 mm (31.9 inches). By June 16, the cumulative rainfall reached an astonishing 940 mm (37.01 inches). Longyan was the worst affected over the past 24 hours, with 411 mm (16.2 inches) recorded in just 12 hours.

Since Sunday afternoon (LT), June 16, 378 houses have collapsed. As of June 15, the rains had affected 179 800 people and damaged 12 350 ha (30 500 acres) of crops, causing a direct economic loss of 1.61 billion yuan (approximately 225 million USD).

The extensive flooding forced over half a million people to evacuate.

The extreme weather event has impacted other southern provinces like Guangxi and Hunan as well.

Meanwhile, northern China battles a different extreme – scorching heat. Temperatures in Beijing are expected to reach up to 39 °C (102 °F), with some regions in the north experiencing even higher temperatures.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for emergency workers to prioritize rescue efforts and disaster relief in the flood-affected regions. Local authorities are scrambling to reach isolated villages and towns, provide aid to displaced residents, and manage flood risks by releasing water from reservoirs.

References:

¹ Heavy rains, landslides in China’s Guangdong and Fujian kill nine – Reuters – June 18, 2024

² Over a dozen people missing as extreme weather hits China – AFP – June 18, 2024

³ Thousands evacuated as floods and deadly landslides hit southeast China – Accuweather – June 17, 2024

⁴ Xi urges all-out efforts to fight floods, droughts – Xinhua – June 18, 2024

⁵ Extreme rainfall, deadly floods and landslides hit China’s Fujian, forcing 36 000 to evacuate – The Watchers – June 17, 2024

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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