Heavy rain swept through the southern Chinese city of Nanning on Wednesday morning, disrupting traffic and local businesses, and leaving people stranded across the river in need of rescue.
The downpour prompted the city, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to issue its first red alert of the year -- the highest level in the four-tier rainstorm warning system.
Pedestrian footage revealed that a major avenue, Yinhai, was severely waterlogged, with water levels reaching up to 50 centimeters. The sudden deluge left roads impassable and disrupted local businesses.
Everything from electric bikes to trash bins was swept onto the road, a local resident described the chaos, adding that the rain intensified so suddenly that people could barely manage.
From 08:00 to 16:00, cities and counties across Guangxi recorded rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters, highlighting the severity of the storm. Liangqing District in Nanning received the highest rainfall, measuring 182.8 millimeters.
By afternoon, conditions improved slightly with main roads becoming passable. Drainage workers were clearing blocked storm drains along the avenue, while community staff and traffic police were managing intersections.
In the late afternoon, the Nanning Fire and Rescue Detachment responded to an emergency in Long'an County, where a resident was stranded on a riverbank due to the rising water levels.
The team deployed a rubber boat and used a tow rope for stabilization to rescue the individual, who had been caught off guard by the sudden flood while working across the river.
As of Wednesday evening, the red rainstorm warning had been lifted. However, potential light rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the next few days.
Heavy rainfall in Nanning triggers floods, disrupts traffic, leads to rescue
