South China's Guangdong upgrades flood early warning release system

South China's Guangdong Province has comprehensively upgraded its flood early warning release mechanism to address uncertainties brought by extreme weather events, said the provincial water resources department on Wednesday.

According to a newly released notice by the provincial water resources department, there are four categories of water conservancy early warning information, five responsible entities for warning dissemination (along with their target audiences), and six early warning release channels.

The department said that in recent years, extreme weather events have become more frequent in Guangdong. The uncertainty and suddenness of flood and drought disaster prevention have increased, and the difficulty of emergency response has also risen. Making early forecasts and warnings and deploying response measures in advance are the keys to the success of prewarning.

The notice details the target recipients for each warning level and standardizes dissemination procedures to ensure warnings reach stakeholders without delay. It lists four categories of water-related warnings: river floods, mountain torrents, reservoir or hydropower station discharges, and engineering emergencies such as dam or dyke breaches.

To ensure effective delivery, the department mandates dissemination through six channels, including official documents, text messages, phone calls, a local communication system called "One Click", WeChat and loudspeakers.

A latest forecast shows that cold air mass from the north will move southward on Friday and Saturday, clashing with warm, moist air and triggering another round of heavy rainfall across the province from north to south, according to the Guangdong Meteorological Service Center.

Regions in northern Guangdong and northern Pearl River Delta are expected to experience heavy rain, while the cities of Zhanjiang, Maoming, Shantou and Chaozhou will have moderate to heavy thunderstorms. Other areas will have scattered thunderstorms or showers, with localized heavy rain, the center said.

Peak hourly rainfall is expected to reach 100 millimeters, accompanied by brief gales and localized hail. Temperatures will drop by 3-6 C due to the rainfall, said the center.

The peak rainfall period during Guangdong's first flood season spans from April to June, with a historical average of 321.1 mm over the past 30 years, according to a Shenzhen local media.

According to the Guangdong Meteorological Service, this year's peak period will see frequent localized and regional extreme weather events, with total rainfall expected to be 20 percent above the historical average but still lower than the 417.7 mm recorded in 2024.