South China braces for heavy rain, potential flooding until next Friday

Southern China is expected to be pounded by heavy rain until next Friday, with the most intense period forecast for the coming days, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) warned on Thursday.

Chief forecaster Yang Shunan said the brunt of the storm will hit northern and central Guangxi, northern Guangdong, and border regions of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces. These areas could see hourly rainfall exceeding 80 millimeters, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.

The rain belt will then shift north, impacting regions along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang.

Yang explained this weather event differs from recent storms in North China. It's driven by an eastward-moving upper-level trough, low-level wind shear, and a warm, humid environment in South China that fuels heavy rain.

The NMC has issued a Level 3 emergency response for heavy rainfall, and a joint warning with the Ministry of Water Resources highlights the risk of mountain torrents and secondary disasters in northern Guangxi.