Guangdong Relocates Over 37,000 Residents as Heavy Rains Trigger Flood Alerts
South China’s Guangdong Province has relocated 37,601 residents from high-risk areas after sustained heavy rains lashed the region over recent days, local authorities reported on June 18, 2026. A Level III flood control emergency response and a Level IV disaster relief response remain in effect, with several cities including Zhuhai and Shenzhen suspending classes and the China Railway Guangzhou Group adjusting train schedules to reduce safety risks. No casualties have been reported according to the provincial emergency management department, even as deployments of rescue personnel and equipment continue.
The Guangdong Fire and Rescue Corps positioned 247 firefighters, 53 fire trucks and 37 boats on standby in key cities since the previous Friday, according to Xinhua. Separately the Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources dispatched 41,768 patrols to inspect dykes and reservoirs while the provincial communications administration sent 7,226 emergency maintenance personnel along with 2,994 support vehicles and 2,108 generators for disaster relief. These coordinated actions form part of the sustained response to the weather event that has affected multiple parts of the province.
Xinhua reported that the provincial meteorological observatory forecasts heavy to torrential rain along with local extreme downpours continuing to strike southern Guangdong from Wednesday through Thursday before precipitation generally weakens across the province from Friday to Saturday. The current episode follows an earlier escalation noted by Reuters on June 15 when more than 13,000 people had already been relocated and China’s state flood control headquarters upgraded the emergency level for Guangdong and neighboring Guangxi. Such measures reflect the province’s exposure to recurring flood risks during the annual rainy season.
A G20 Climate Risk Atlas assessment found that climate change is intensifying extreme weather impacts in China with projections that without urgent emission reductions heatwaves would last 1,563 percent longer and heat-related excess deaths would rise by 92 percent. The same assessment projected that more than 25 million people in China could face river flooding by 2050 with total costs reaching EUR 414 billion by 2100 under a high-emissions pathway. Limiting global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius would reduce the GDP impact of these climate effects from 6.33 percent to 2 percent by the end of the century according to the atlas.
China’s Guangdong evacuates nearly 40,000 amid sustained heavy rain as officials maintain vigilance over infrastructure and population centers in one of the country’s most densely populated and economically active southern regions. The provincial emergency management department continues to monitor developments with resources positioned to address any emerging threats from the ongoing weather system. Data from similar past events in the area have underscored the value of early evacuations and rapid deployment of specialized teams in limiting loss of life.
