Earlier-than-usual heavy rains swamped Guangdong province over the weekend, flooding homes, streets and fields, multiple media outlets have reported.
As of Monday evening, at least four people had died in the province’s riverside cities, 10 were reported missing and more than 110,000 had been relocated to safer areas. The torrential rain started last Thursday and a number of rivers remained dangerously swollen on Monday.
Precipitation records for April were broken in many parts of Guangdong, with the cities of Shaoguan, Zhaoqing and Jiangmen some of the most seriously impacted. The amount of rainfall was two to three times higher than normal for this time of year.
[See more: Dubai just got 18 months of rainfall in one day, the heaviest in 75 years]
Scientists have noted that China’s weather has become more intense and unpredictable due to global warming. Events include record-breaking rainfall and drought often occurring simultaneously across the country.
The Pearl River Delta region is currently preparing for typhoon season, and the higher than normal number of cyclones that have been forecast for this year.
Macao, meanwhile, is experiencing unsettled weather due to a trough of low pressure bringing rain and thunderstorms.
