A broad band of heavy rainfall is sweeping across central eastern and southern China from Friday through next Tuesday, battering parts of south China's Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with intense downpours, forcing local authorities to issue extreme weather warnings and launch emergency operations.
In Guangdong's provincial capital Guangzhou, the meteorological authority warned that moderate to severe thunderstorms would hurt the city center on Friday. By 14:00, rainfall in the districts of Yuexiu and Tianhe districts had already topped 100 millimeters.
The two districts quickly raised rainstorm alerts to the highest red level, while neighboring Huangpu and Panyu districts activated yellow warnings. The rain subsided by around 17:00, but forecasters said more heavy rain to storms are expected from Saturday to Monday.
Elsewhere in Guangdong, the coastal county of Haifeng in Shanwei City was hit by heavy rain that left several roads submerged. Emergency crews rushed to conduct drainage work and pump out flooded sections, while teams were posted at the worst-affected spots to guide vehicles and pedestrians.
With more severe weather predicted over the next two days, authorities warned residents to remain on high alert for secondary hazards.
The rain has also wreaked havoc in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. From 8:00 to 11:00 on Friday, parts of Hechi City saw moderate to torrential rain. Its subordinate county of Huanjiang issued red-level rainstorm alerts from morning to afternoon as water was up to 40 centimeters deep across multiple main roads and low-lying streets. Hechi activated a citywide Level IV flood-control emergency response, and at 11:20, the local hydrology center issued a blue flood warning, both are mildest of China's four-tier weather warning systems.
From 8:00 to 16:00, 10 townships and 16 monitoring sites across the city had recorded 24-hour total rainfall of 100 to 250 millimeters, with Guan'an Village registering the highest rainfall of 160.6 millimeters.
Heavy rain lashes Guangdong, Guangxi; authorities take emergency responses
More than 20 students from Ivy League universities in the United States visited China's Southwest Jiaotong University in on Tuesday, where they got a first-hand look at a fast-moving technological innovation that could power future transportation.
The students paid a visit to a special demonstration lab in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, where they explored the world’s first high-temperature superconducting magnetic levitation prototype and test line, taking part in some fun hands-on experiments and even enjoying a brief trial ride.
Experts say the system could exceed speeds of 600 kilometers per hour, helping to further narrow the gap between high-speed rail and air travel.
The students' visit came as part of a week-long language and cultural exchange program, giving the young participants the chance to experience daily life in Chengdu while learning more about China.
The exchange event comes at a momentous time for China-U.S. relations, with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday wrapping up a three-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which marked the first such trip by a U.S. president in nine years.
The students taking part in the Chengdu activity said exchanges like the one they have embarked on can help deepen trust and expand cooperation between the U.S. and China.
"The positive signals I am hoping to see is that right now I see China and the United States as two powerful and very important countries in this world. But they also both have a lot of potential, and I think that if they work together, they can make some tremendous change across the world," said Alex Davenport, a student from Mount Holyoke College.
"America and China are two of the largest superpowers in the world right now, and I think politically and culturally it’s really great to communicate with one another," said Caroline Ewald, a student at the University of Pittsburgh.
Others are hoping that Trump's landmark visit will also help improve ties.
"That's probably the biggest thing I am look for is try to cool down the trade stuff that's going on in the U.S.," said McKenna Lundy, a student from the University of Michigan.
China is seen as a world leader in maglev technology. Last December, the country's Hubei East Lake Laboratory announced a groundbreaking achievement, with its test line accelerating a 1.1-tonne model train to an astonishing 800 kilometers per hour in just 5.3 seconds -- a milestone in electromagnetic propulsion research.
The technology is also proving its worth at more manageable speeds, with a restaurant in the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen going viral earlier this year after it used magnetic levitation to serve food, with plates seen floating along tracks to arrive smoothly in front of each diner.
US students get taste of high-speed technology with visit to top maglev lab in Sichuan
