China's national weather authority renewed its orange alert for heavy rainfall on Friday, as downpours continued to lash southern regions, triggering floods, disrupting transportation, and prompting mass evacuations.
In central China's Hunan Province, the local meteorological department also issued an orange alert, as the Lishui River saw its first flood of the year, leading to overflow at 234 reservoirs across the province.
The local emergency management department has dispatched fire and rescue teams to the hardest-hit areas, and more than 38,000 people have been evacuated.
Sangzhi County was in the midst of high school entrance examinations when heavy rain struck, preventing some students from reaching their test sites. In response, local authorities and firefighters quickly assembled a rescue team and deployed kayaks to transport the examinees to safety.
Many areas in central China's Hubei Province experienced the first round of heavy rainfall during this year's rainy season.
In Hefeng County, continuous downpours caused rising river levels and waterlogging in several areas. To protect residents, local officials personally assisted in evacuating affected individuals, ensuring a safe and orderly relocation.
Southwest China's Guizhou Province has activated a Level IV emergency response for flood control, as several areas issued orange and yellow alerts for geological disasters.
In Zhijin County, local authorities established temporary resettlement sites in severely affected towns and villages to ensure proper shelter for those impacted by the flooding.
Huaiji County in south China's Guangdong Province experienced its worst flooding in a century, with houses submerged, roads destroyed, and widespread power outages amid torrential rainfall triggered by Typhoon Wutip.
More than 10,000 responders from both provincial and local levels were mobilized to clear debris, repair roads, and restore critical infrastructure.
So far, all 569 communication stations affected by the heavy rainfall have been restored, along with water and electricity supplies in most urban areas.
Guangdong's transportation department has deployed over 100 engineering vehicles and more than 300 emergency rescue teams to repair damaged roads.
At present, 28 of the 30 damaged road sections in Huaiji have been restored, and all main national and provincial roadways have been reopened to traffic.
China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the highest. It also uses a four-tier weather warning system, in which red represents the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.
Heavy rainfall, floods hit south China
