Torrential rain wreaked havoc in southern China over the weekend, leading to flooding, evacuations, and even the appearance of a waterspout in Hong Kong.
The province of Guangdong, home to over 127 million people, has been hit hard by the relentless rain since last week. The north of the province and the Pearl River Delta in the south, including major cities like Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau, bore the brunt of the storm.
In Yingde, nearly 20,000 people were evacuated as the city received almost a foot of rain from Friday to Sunday. In Guangzhou, the Longxue neighborhood experienced nearly five inches of rain in just four hours on Sunday morning, the highest amount in the province.
The Beijiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River, flooded on Saturday night, with a risk of a potentially severe flood looming through Monday. In Hong Kong, a waterspout was spotted over water on Sunday morning, though no damage was reported.
Neighboring provinces like Guangxi, Jiangxi, and Fujian also experienced heavy rain on Sunday. The China Weather Network forecasted that the heaviest rain would shift to the east of Guangdong on Monday, with some areas expecting up to 10 inches of rain in 24 hours. The rainfall is expected to ease by Tuesday.
As the region braces for more thunderstorms and heavy showers, residents and authorities are on high alert for potential flooding and further disruptions caused by the ongoing downpour.
