At least 10 dead as huge floods sweep southern and central China

At least 10 people have died after heavy rains caused widespread flooding and landslides across southern and central China.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) maintained elevated orange alerts on Tuesday for heavy rain and severe stormy weather, warning that the huge precipitation system has entered its strongest, most destructive stage.

China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters officially activated a Level-IV emergency response, the initial tier to accelerate state-level disaster relief for floods, in Hunan and Guangxi, while maintaining the same emergency tier for Hubei, Chongqing, and Guizhou.

The torrential downpours have shattered multiple local historical records, particularly in the central Hubei province. State broadcaster CCTV reported that 337 townships in Hubei recorded more than 100mm of rain within a 48-hour window.

In Guangxi, six people died after a pick-up truck carrying 15 passengers fell into a swollen river amid heavy rainfall, CCTV said. In Hubei, three people were killed by flash floods in a low-lying village, while another death was recorded in southern Hunan province.

Images on the Chinese social media platform Douyin showed residents in Jingzhou, Hubei, standing knee-deep in floodwater, with some catching fish swimming in submerged streets. Several cars were almost entirely underwater.

Authorities have suspended schools, businesses, and transport services in affected areas. Emergency responses are under way, and residents in parts of Hubei and Hunan are actively being relocated.

Meteorologists attributed the unusually large area of intense rainfall to the convergence of moisture from the Bay of Bengal, the South China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. They said the slow-moving nature of the weather system had exacerbated cumulative rainfall totals.

The National Meteorological Centre expects severe weather to move east and south over the next two days, with the heaviest rainfall forecast along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River from Wednesday.