Local residents walk in the street with umbrellas in Wuhan, in Central China’s Hubei Province, on May 15, 2025. Photo: VCG

China’s southern regions are forecast to experience a new round of sustained rainfall starting Saturday, while the northern regions are forecast to see sunny and hot conditions, with high temperatures in some areas potentially exceeding 40 C next week, according to Weather China.

On Wednesday, parts of China including eastern and southern parts of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, western parts of South China’s Guangdong Province and eastern parts of Central China’s Hubei Province, experienced heavy rainfall. From Thursday to Friday, the range of rainfall in the southern regions will significantly expand, with some regions experiencing moderate to heavy rain and localized torrential rain, accompanied by short-term downpours, and other severe convective weather, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Thursday.

Qinzhou, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region upgraded the heavy rain orange alert to red, the most severe warning, at 9:57 on Thursday morning, according to the NMC.
 
From Friday to Saturday, southern China will continue to see sustained rainfall with relatively stable precipitation zones. Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for central and eastern parts of North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and other northern areas, according to the NMC.

High temperatures will increase in areas such as parts of Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, and some other regions since Friday. Taiyuan, North China’s Shanxi Province, may experience its first high-temperature days of the year beginning Friday, according to Weather China. 

From May 19 to 20, both the range and intensity of high temperatures will expand, with some areas of Shaanxi and Central China’s Henan Province becoming the core high-temperature zones, where the maximum temperature may approach or exceed 40 C, according to Weather China.

In some cities, Xi’an in Shaanxi may see a maximum temperature exceeding 40 C on May 20, setting records for the earliest 40 C day and the highest temperature in May possibly, according to the report by Weather China. Zhengzhou in Henan could reach a maximum of 38 C on May 19, possibly setting a new high for the year, according to Weather China.

In southern regions, high temperatures are also expected to rise after May 19. On May 19 and 20, Nanjing in East China’s Jiangsu Province and Chengdu in Sichuan may see maximum temperatures exceeding 35 C, according to Weather China.

In the coming days, many regions across China will face intense heat, requiring the public to take precautions, while areas such as Shaanxi and Henan are experiencing drought conditions. Farmers in these regions should closely monitor soil moisture and irrigate crops as needed, according to the report.

Global Times