Heavy rain in China’s south over May 18–19, 2025, particularly in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, resulted in torrential downpours that led to six fatalities and left numerous persons missing. The extreme flooding caused by the heavy downpours prompted rescue efforts and emergency actions in the impacted areas.

Longmengang township in Qinzhou, Guangxi, broke previous precipitation records with an extraordinary 610.5 millimeters of daily rainfall. Additionally, a record-breaking hourly high of 189.6 millimeters was recorded in the area. Cities including Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, and Beihai saw severe waterlogging due to the flood, with water depths in some places as high as one meter. More than 550 people were evacuated by emergency services, including 295 from Qinzhou and 231 from Nanning.

Meteorological Warnings and Ongoing Risks

The National Meteorological Center issued several warnings for heavy rainfall on May 18–19, impacting the provinces of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, and the northwest region of Xinjiang. Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi were under a yellow warning, indicating a higher chance of mountain floods. Alerts are categorized using China’s four-tier weather warning system, which ranges from red (the most severe) to blue (the least severe).

The Guangxi meteorological department predicted heavy rains would last until Sunday night, with a notable waning anticipated on Monday throughout the day. Still, sporadic showers or thunderstorms were expected throughout the entire area. After seeing that three rivers in the region experienced flooding and that water levels were predicted to climb by 0.3 to 0.5 meters, the local hydrological station in Guangxi declared a Level IV emergency response to hydrological forecasting.

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Climate Trends and Impact

According to data, 2024 was China’s hottest year since records have been kept for over 60 years. The national average temperature increased by more than one degree from 2023 to 10.92 degrees Celsius. With an average temperature of 18.8 degrees Celsius, Shanghai experienced its warmest year since the Qing period. Power usage spiked nationwide due to the heavier storms and more rainfall that accompanied the rising temperatures.

The warmer weather also impacted agriculture, especially in areas that cultivate rice. China has started studying how to make basic crops more heat-tolerant to protect food security. Researchers at a Beijing research center discovered that if potatoes were grown in a chamber that was 3 degrees Celsius above normal, they weighed less than 50% of the ordinary varieties. China is the world’s largest producer of potatoes.

Zhang Tao, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, said the recent severe rains were caused by the South China Sea monsoon moving northward and increasing after coming into contact with cold, dry air in Jiangnan and South China. The South China area has been experiencing heavy rain in China’s South from west to east due to this monsoon surge’s progressive eastward shift.

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