Once in 50 years floods affect millions in China’s Guangdong

Heavy rainfall has caused some of China’s most extreme flooding in decades, displacing more than 110,000 people and affecting millions. The rainfall occurred in Guangdong, China’s most populous province, leaving four dead and 10 missing, according to state media reports. Videos and images shared online depict large areas submerged in floodwater, with rescuers using lifeboats to assist people navigating waist-deep water. Major rivers have overflowed their banks, and authorities are closely monitoring water levels, fearing potentially record-breaking peaks. The Pearl River delta, where much of Guangdong is located, is especially susceptible to flooding due to rising sea levels and storm surges. Although scenes like this are rare, Chinese officials warned water levels in the river could reach a ‘once in 100 years’ peak, although this was later downgraded to ’‘once in 50 years’. This region is critical to China’s manufacturing sector and is densely populated, with over 127 million residents in Guangdong alone. Cities like Guangzhou, Shaoguan, and Heyuan have been severely affected, with power outages impacting over a million households for a short time. Schools have closed in many areas, and significant damage to homes and infrastructure has been reported. Chinese meteorological authorities have warned of continued heavy rainfall in Guangdong and neighboring provinces, with other regions like Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei also expecting substantial rain in the coming days. These floods come mere days after the surprise flooding in Dubai, which some believe to be a result of cloud seeding tech gone awry.