The northern China provinces, Henan and Shandong are facing drought, while the southern provinces including Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou and Fujian are experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding.
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Over 35,000 individuals were evacuated as of Saturday. By Monday morning, the number had swelled to more than 10,000 in Meizhou, the city hardest hit by the floods in Guangdong province.
Seventeen waterways in the Han River basin recorded flooding above alert levels. Two rivers even reached record flood levels, as reported by the Ministry of Water Resources on Monday.
China has issued continuous alerts for rainstorms and activated emergency responses to manage the flood situation.
Guangdong, an economic hub with a population of 127 million, is accustomed to annual flooding from April to September.
The intensity of the rains has been leading to severe flooding. Social media videos from Meizhou showed rivers overflowing, submerging vehicles and inundating bridges.
More than 130,000 households in and around Meizhou were left without electricity as of Monday morning. The floodwaters disrupted power supply and caused damage to infrastructure.
Classes were suspended in Meizhou and its suburbs due to the flooding. Several kindergartens were also closed as a precautionary measure.
Authorities are struggling to reach some of the towns and villages that have been cut off by the floods. The rescue operations are being hampered by the severe weather conditions.
Fujian province, with a population of 40 million, has been hit hard by heavy rainfall. Shanghang county in southwest Fujian recorded 375 millimeters (nearly 15 inches) of rainfall in just 24 hours, which is 18% of its average annual rainfall.
The province experienced multiple landslides resulting in the death of four people. The heavy rains have caused damage to infrastructure and homes and many areas remain inaccessible.
The flooding lead to economic losses. Approximately 12,350 hectares of crops have been damaged causing an estimated $225 million in direct losses.
The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events in southern China highlight the impact of the global climate crisis.
Scientists have warned that climate change will lead to more intense and extreme weather events.
The National Meteorological Center has issued warnings for severe weather including torrential rains and thunderstorms, across several provinces.
The forecast includes parts of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan.
Severe downpours are expected to continue with some regions forecasted to receive more than 70 millimeters of rain per hour. Authorities have issued a level orange warning, indicating a high risk of floods and landslides.
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Provinces like Guangxi have reported economic damage due to the floods with expected losses of around 329 million yuan ($45 million).
Authorities in these regions have relocated thousands of residents from high-risk areas and are providing emergency shelter and aid.
The drought has hindered the planting of around 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of farmland in Henan, which represents 3.5% of the province’s total summer planting area.
Zhengzhou has escalated its agricultural drought emergency response from level four to level three in its four-tier system.
Local farmers report severe challenges in irrigation due to the scarcity of water. They are forced to live in their fields for days to manage irrigation.
Emergency drought responses have been activated in at least 14 cities within Henan, leading to water rationing and the opening of irrigation gates to try and save the crops.
Villagers face long waits for limited water supplies from wells, which can only support a few households at a time.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has called for enhanced drought prevention efforts and the promotion of drought-resistant crops during an inspection tour of Hebei province, adjacent to Beijing.
The southern provinces including Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou and Fujian have been hit hard by continuous heavy rainfall, leading to severe flooding.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated due to flooding. Fujian has relocated 36,000 residents due to landslides and waterlogging.
The Ministry of Water Resources has initiated a level-four flood defense emergency response in Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan, with Fujian and Guangdong provinces escalating their response levels as well.
Flood management has involved infrastructure efforts such as preparing upstream reservoirs to intercept floods and managing water levels in major rivers like the Xi River in Guangxi.
Heavy rains have caused the suspension of passenger train services in Jiangxi and Fujian, affecting transportation and disrupting daily life.
Cities have faced severe waterlogging and damage to infrastructure with roads and vehicles inundated with floodwaters.
At least one person has died due to the floods. The body of a student who fell into a swollen river in Guilin was found after two days.
In the south, floods have destroyed crops and damaged agricultural lands.
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