Extreme rainfall and catastrophic flooding, which meteorologists link to climate change, pose mounting challenges for officials in mainland China, sweeping people to their deaths, displacing thousands and threatening billions of dollars in economic losses.
The storms follow deadly flash floods in Southern China over the weekend, which left five dead in Guangdong province and prompted a large-scale search operation involving over 1,300 rescuers.
As of Tuesday morning, four rivers in the province had risen to such a height that were at risk of bursting their banks, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Hong Kong, Guangdong Province, and Macau – which issued a Red rain warning – form the backbone of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship Greater Bay Area initiative, aimed at fusing Hong Kong’s financial firepower with Guangdong’s manufacturing and technological strength.
