In recent days, China’s Guangxi region has been hit by heavy rainfall, with precipitation in many areas breaking historical records. Some areas have experienced flooding, landslides, and waterlogged streets filled with vehicles.
According to the Guangxi Meteorological Bureau, from May 18th to 19th, the region saw the strongest rainfall of the year, with seven counties (cities, districts) in Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, Beihai, Nanning, and four other cities experiencing exceptionally heavy rainstorms. This weather event was characterized by “intense and widespread heavy rainfall,” with the province as a whole experiencing the broadest area of heavy rain since 2017, breaking historical records in many places.
It is reported that this weather system in Guangxi had three centers of heavy rainfall, located in the western, northeastern, and coastal regions. The cause of this heavy rainfall was the strengthening of the monsoon from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea, meeting weak cold air that controls southern China, resulting in intense precipitation. Particularly in western Guangxi and the coastal areas, the rainfall exhibited significant convective characteristics, with slow-moving convection leading to a “train effect,” causing heavy downpours. In some coastal areas, extreme and intense heavy rain occurred, accompanied by thunderstorms, strong winds, and severe convective weather.
A netizen from Nanning mentioned that the heavy rainfall has led to widespread flooding in the city, with many car owners unaware that their vehicles are submerged in the water. One resident mentioned that they had not seen such severe flooding in twenty years.
Many local residents expressed frustration over the poor drainage system in Nanning, indicating that this was the second time the city had experienced heavy rainfall this year, highlighting once again the inadequacy of the local drainage infrastructure.