Southern provinces and cities in mainland China were hit by the first large-scale severe convective weather in 2026. Since March 29th, emergency hail, thunderstorm, and strong wind warnings have been issued in Guangdong and Guangxi. In Guangzhou, the hourly rainfall reached 54.8 centimeters, described as a “high-pressure water gun” assault. Citizens called it a super heavy rain in Guangzhou, with dark clouds pressing in, turning the sky black instantly. Elevated highways turned into “elevated rivers,” making it feel like driving a boat.
According to the weather information in Guangzhou, the city faced strong thunderstorms with gusts of 8-10 levels. Regions like Haizhu, Liwan, Huangpu, and Panyu issued orange hail warnings.
It has been reported that rainfall exceeding 50 centimeters in 24 hours is classified as heavy rain. On March 29th, Guangzhou received a day’s worth of heavy rain in just one hour.
The sudden downpour left some residents of Guangzhou astonished. Videos shared by some residents showed the Guangyuan Expressway overpass turning into a “elevated river” – water rushing over the bridge, making driving a perilous experience resembling sailing a ship.
A Weibo user named “Car Enthusiast Bean” with 1.55 million followers expressed: “Experience the super heavy rain in Guangzhou – at 2 pm on the 29th, dark clouds rolled in, the sky turned black, and then it started pouring heavily with strong winds, thunderstorms…”
The meteorological forecast indicates from March 30th to 31st, there will be local heavy rains or torrential rains in parts of the northern Guangdong and central-northern part of the Pearl River Delta. Other regions will experience thunderstorms, heavy rains in some areas, accompanied by short-term gusts of 8-10 levels, chances of hail in some cities, and light fog or mist in most cities in the morning and evening. Daytime temperatures will range from 23-26°C in Qingyuan, Shaoguan, and northern parts of Zhaoqing, and 30-33°C in the Leizhou Peninsula; while other regions will see temperatures between 27-30°C.
The Guangzhou Daily reported that on the morning of March 30th, heavy rain hit Guangzhou again, with multiple lightning strikes occurring around 9:30 am in the vicinity of the Guangzhou Tower. The scene was captured by a car owner’s dashcam.
A Weibo user with the IP address from Guangdong, mentioned as “Tuo Feilong,” reported that on the 30th of March, Guangzhou experienced another heavy rainstorm.
A verified Weibo user, “Schoolmate Lin” from Guangdong stated: “The heavy rain was particularly spectacular, one moment it was daylight, the next moment it was pitch dark.”
Guangdong netizen “Infinite Wisdom” mentioned: “Heavy rain poured down during the commute to work.”
Another netizen from Guangdong, “wilasxg,” added: “It was daytime before leaving home, but stepping out of the subway, it was already nighttime, really soaked through, and still had to go to work, I’m going crazy.”
“BanxiaBANXIA70” shared: “In the morning of the 30th, Shenzhen Bao’an was also hit by heavy rain and strong winds.”
“Baidu netizen cf8d748”: “Dragon Valley experienced heavy rain and strong winds on the morning of the 30th.”
Netizen from Guangdong, “Lumi Chuang Buling,” jokingly remarked: “The high-pressure water gun passed through.”